Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a Waste Recycling System

Country / jurisdiction: People's Republic of China · Year: 2024 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

The General Office of the State Council of China issued comprehensive guidelines in February 2024 to accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, aiming to establish an efficient, standardised waste management and recycling framework by 2030. The policy emerges from China's commitment to resource security, carbon reduction goals, and green development transformation. It addresses the growing challenge of waste management across industrial, agricultural, and urban sectors, establishing specific targets for waste utilisation and recycling industry development.

The framework sets the following targets for 2025, including:

an established waste recycling system covering all fields and links

positive progress in the recycling of major wastes

4 billion tons in annual utilisation of bulk solid wastes such as tailings, fly ash, coal gangue, smelting slag, industrial by-product gypsum, construction waste, and straw

the recycling rate of new bulk solid wastes will reach 60%

450 million tons in annual utilisation of major renewable resources such as scrap steel, scrap copper, scrap aluminum, scrap lead, scrap zinc, waste paper, waste plastic, waste rubber, and waste glass

CNY 5 trillion in annual output value of the resource recycling industry

By 2030, a comprehensive, efficient, standardised and orderly waste recycling system will be built, the value of all kinds of waste resources will be fully explored, the proportion of recycled materials in the supply of raw materials will be further increased, the scale and quality of the resource recycling industry will be significantly improved, and the level of waste recycling will be top in the world.

The policy encompasses several key implementation strategies, focusing on industrial waste management through detailed record-keeping and classified collection, agricultural waste collection systems for livestock manure and crop stalks, and urban waste sorting and recycling networks for household appliances and electronics.

A significant portion of the policy addresses the enhancement of waste resource utilisation, particularly for bulk solid waste and renewable resources. It also emphasises the development of second-hand commodity markets and remanufacturing industries. Special attention is given to specific waste streams, such as power batteries and low-value recyclables, with detailed guidelines for their collection and processing. The framework includes provisions for industrial parks and agricultural sectors to adopt circular economy practices, promoting the integration of various waste management systems.

The policy establishes comprehensive support mechanisms to ensure successful implementation. These include financial incentives through tax benefits and green finance tools, land use guarantees for recycling facilities, and technical innovation support. Additionally, the framework emphasises international cooperation, encouraging participation in global circular economy initiatives and bilateral cooperation mechanisms. Through these measures, the implementation of this system aims to significantly improve China's resource utilisation efficiency and establish a world-leading waste recycling system by 2030. It is expected to contribute to national resource security, environmental protection, and carbon reduction goals while fostering the development of a substantial circular economy industry.

Official source: https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202402/content_6931079.htm