Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Recycling in China - statistics & facts
China is the leading waste-producing country in the world, although, on a per capita basis, the country still ranks much behind developed countries. However, China’s waste management infrastructure is still underequipped to adequately handle the waste volume and utilize waste resources through reprocessing. Therefore, the Chinese government has introduced legislation to address the issues and furthermore integrate recycling into an overarching policy objective of building a circular economy.
In addition, the current recycling industry is propped up by a large informal and small-scale waste collection and processing industry. Around 80 percent of the industry comprises small and medium-sized companies who struggle to raise the capital to invest in the necessary sanitation technology and machinery. Consequently, the state has stepped in to facilitate recycling infrastructure construction.
Crucial components, such as computers, batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels will exceed their life span eventually and need to be recycled. Considering the value and scarcity of the materials, reprocessing becomes not only a matter of the environment but also an economic one.
The state of the recycling industry
China’s utilization rate of waste is comparatively low due to an underdevelopment of waste management systems. Although the reprocessing volume varies among types of recyclables, they all share a similar structural obstacle, which is the lack of infrastructure. Recycling centers are often located in urban areas, and waste processing plants do not have modern waste handling technologies.In addition, the current recycling industry is propped up by a large informal and small-scale waste collection and processing industry. Around 80 percent of the industry comprises small and medium-sized companies who struggle to raise the capital to invest in the necessary sanitation technology and machinery. Consequently, the state has stepped in to facilitate recycling infrastructure construction.
Recycling as economic policy
2017 marked a turning point in the Chinese recycling industry, introducing guidelines and targets, embedding recycling in a broader national, economic strategy. The leadership brought about initial waste sorting plans, followed by pilot programs of “zero waste cities” and a ban on most waste imports. In addition, the latest Five-Year Plan embedded the industry in a broader policy strategy, setting targets in the form of utilization rates, as well as outlining plans to develop the necessary recycling infrastructure. Ultimately, recycling ties in neatly into the Chinese overarching mission to construct a circular economy.Going full circle
The circular economy is an overarching theme of the current economic planning of the Chinese government. One key objective is changing the perception of waste from seeing it as a burden to cherishing it as a valuable resource, which requires a comprehensive recycling industry. It becomes even more relevant when looking at future waste-related challenges from transitioning to a high-tech and carbon-neutral economy.Crucial components, such as computers, batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels will exceed their life span eventually and need to be recycled. Considering the value and scarcity of the materials, reprocessing becomes not only a matter of the environment but also an economic one.
