Roadmap for Promoting the Application of Recycled Materials Clarified

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the "Action Plan for Promoting the Application of Recycled Materials" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"). The plan outlines a clear roadmap for promoting the application of recycled materials by enhancing supply capabilities, increasing application efforts, improving usage management systems, and refining application promotion policies, laying a foundation for the gradual increase in the proportion of recycled materials used.

As one of the important paths to achieve green and low-carbon transformation, the application and promotion of recycled materials are of great significance for ensuring resource security and promoting the achievement of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. After years of development, China has initially established the world's largest and most comprehensive resource recycling and reuse system, with industry scale and level ranking among the top in the world. Among them, the annual processing capacity of scrap steel is 180 million tons, the annual production of recycled pulp exceeds 63 million tons, the annual production of recycled plastic is about 16.4 million tons, and the annual production of major recycled non-ferrous metals is about 19.15 million tons, providing a solid foundation for the application and promotion of recycled materials.

"With the large-scale update of equipment and the deep implementation of the policy of replacing old consumer goods with new ones, the amount of dismantling and recycling of discarded equipment and consumer goods in our country has increased significantly, creating favorable conditions for further promoting resource recycling and efficient utilization." A relevant official from the National Development and Reform Commission stated that based on the new situation and new requirements, we should accelerate the formation of a resource supply and guarantee system that complements primary resources with recycled resources, and further promote the development of the circular economy to achieve greater results, thereby providing solid support for the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development from the source.

The category of recycled materials is diverse and covers a wide range of areas. The "Action Plan" focuses on key sectors such as steel, non-ferrous metals, plastics, and paper, proposing that by 2030, the waste recycling system will be further improved, and standards and certification systems for the promotion and application of recycled materials will be gradually established. The annual recycling and utilization of waste steel and waste paper will exceed 300 million tons and 80 million tons, respectively, while the annual production of recycled non-ferrous metals and recycled plastics will exceed 25 million tons and 19.5 million tons, respectively. The proportion of recycled materials used as substitutes in fields such as automobiles, electrical and electronic products, textiles, and packaging will steadily increase, further enhancing the role of recycled materials in ensuring resource security and promoting energy conservation and carbon reduction.

The "Action Plan" clearly identifies the automotive, electronic products, batteries, textiles, and packaging industries as key sectors for the promotion of recycled materials. It specifies which components should use recycled materials and highlights the categories of recycled materials that different products should prioritize. At the same time, it encourages relevant leading enterprises to formulate and implement plans for the promotion of recycled material applications, finding a "place to apply" high-quality recycled materials. Zhang Deyuan, director of the Circular Economy Research Office of the Macroeconomic Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that this is the first time a dedicated document has been issued to deploy the promotion of recycled material applications. This is of great significance for the comprehensive establishment of a resource recycling system covering the whole society and helps to promote a new resource security perspective that complements primary resources with recycled resources.

The "Action Plan" provides a new direction for the development of new quality productivity tailored to local conditions, offers new pathways to align with international trade development trends, and creates new scenarios for promoting a green and low-carbon lifestyle.

Vice President Xin Mo of the Tsinghua Suzhou Environmental Innovation Institute stated that promoting the greening and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries such as steel and non-ferrous metals, and increasing the supply of high-quality recycled materials, is the development of new quality productivity. Efforts should be made to enhance the capacity to ensure the supply of recycled materials, strengthen the application level of recycled materials in key products, and improve traceability and information management mechanisms to support enterprises in participating in international competition. The increase in the scale and quality level of recycled material usage contributes to the integration of the recycling concept into the daily lives of cities, communities, and families, making the green lifestyle a social trend.