By 2025, a waste recycling system covering all fields and links will be initially established.
According to the Chinese government website, the General Office of the State Council recently issued the "Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a Waste Recycling System", which proposed that by 2025, a waste recycling system covering all fields and links will be initially established, and the recycling of major wastes will make positive progress. The full text is as follows
Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Construction of a Waste Recycling System
Guobanfa [2024] No. 7
People's Governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and all ministries, commissions, and directly affiliated agencies of the State Council:
Constructing a waste recycling system is an important measure to implement a comprehensive conservation strategy, ensure national resource security, actively and steadily promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality, and accelerate the green transformation of development methods. In order to accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, with the approval of the State Council, the following opinions are hereby put forward.
I. General requirements
To accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, we must take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guidance, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, fully implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, fully, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, focus on promoting high-quality development, follow the circular economy concept of reduction, reuse and resource utilization, aim at improving resource utilization efficiency, take fine waste management, effective recycling and efficient utilization as the path, cover all areas of production and life, develop resource recycling industries, improve incentive and constraint mechanisms, and accelerate the construction of a comprehensive, efficient, standardized and orderly waste recycling system, lay a green and low-carbon foundation for high-quality development, and help build a beautiful China in an all-round way.
--Systematic planning and coordinated promotion. Based on China's new industrialization and urbanization process, systematically promote waste recycling work in various fields, and strive to improve the capacity and level of each link of waste recycling. Strengthen the coordination of waste recycling policies, departments, regions and industries, and strengthen the matching connection of policies and mechanisms.
--Classify policies and make precise efforts. According to the characteristics of the source, scale, resource value, utilization method, ecological and environmental impact of various types of waste, the main responsibilities and technical paths of waste recycling are classified and clarified, and the resource recycling industry is arranged according to local conditions to improve the operating efficiency of the waste recycling system.
--Innovation-driven, quality and efficiency improvement. Give full play to the leading role of innovation, strengthen scientific and technological innovation, model innovation and mechanism innovation in waste recycling, constantly open up new fields, create new momentum, expand waste recycling methods, enrich waste recycling categories, and enhance the value of waste recycling.
--Government guidance and market dominance. Give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, better play the role of the government, establish a policy system and incentive and constraint mechanism conducive to waste recycling, stimulate the vitality of various business entities, guide the participation of the whole people, and enhance the endogenous driving force of waste recycling.
By 2025, a waste recycling system covering all fields and links will be initially established, and positive progress will be made in the recycling of major wastes. The annual utilization of bulk solid wastes such as tailings, fly ash, coal gangue, smelting slag, industrial by-product gypsum, construction waste, and straw reached 4 billion tons, and the comprehensive utilization rate of newly added bulk solid waste reached 60%. The annual utilization 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 reached 450 million tons. The annual output value of the resource recycling industry reached 5 trillion yuan.
By 2030, a comprehensive, efficient, standardized and orderly waste recycling system will be established, the value of various types 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 overall level of waste recycling will be among the best in the world.
II. Promote fine management and effective recycling of waste
(I) Strengthen fine management of industrial waste. Strengthen the main responsibility of waste-generating units and improve the management ledger system of general industrial solid waste. Promote the classified collection and storage of industrial solid waste, prevent mixed stacking and mixed discharge, and reserve conditions for resource recycling. Comprehensively investigate and check historical solid waste storage sites, implement graded and classified rectification, and urge enterprises with large storage volumes to strengthen resource recycling. Improve industrial wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Encourage waste generating units and waste utilization units to carry out point-to-point directional cooperation.
(ii) Improve the agricultural waste collection system. Establish and improve the livestock and poultry manure collection, treatment and utilization system, and build supporting facilities such as centralized collection and treatment of livestock and poultry manure, and storage and utilization of biogas residues and liquids according to local conditions. Improve the straw collection, storage and transportation system, guide large straw producers to collect and store on site, and cultivate third-party service entities for collection, storage and transportation. Guide local governments to strengthen the recycling of waste agricultural materials such as agricultural films, pesticide and fertilizer packaging, agricultural machinery and tools, and fishing nets. Actively play the role of the recycling network of the supply and marketing cooperative system.
(iii) Promote the classified recycling of social source waste. Continue to promote the classification of domestic waste. Improve the recycling network for various types of waste materials such as used household appliances and electronic products. Further improve the pre-treatment capacity of waste material recycling. Promote the integration of domestic waste classification outlets and waste material recycling outlets. Improve the rural waste material recycling network according to local conditions. Revise the construction waste management regulations and improve the construction waste management system. Encourage public institutions to play a leading role in the classification and recycling of waste materials. Support the development of the "Internet + Recycling" model. Promote qualified production and sales enterprises to carry out reverse logistics recycling of waste products. Deepen the implementation of the producer recycling target responsibility system in the fields of home appliances and electronic products. Strengthen the recycling and utilization of urban gardening waste. Accelerate the construction of urban domestic sewage collection pipe network.
III. Improve the level of waste resource utilization and reuse
(IV) Strengthen the comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste. Further broaden the comprehensive utilization channels of bulk solid waste, and under the premise of meeting environmental quality standards and requirements, strengthen the promotion and application of comprehensive utilization products in the construction field, unblock the utilization and consumption channels of underground filling, ecological restoration, roadbed materials, etc., and promote the efficient extraction and clean utilization of valuable components in tailings and smelting slag. Increase the research and development of technology and equipment for large-scale utilization of complex and difficult-to-use industrial solid waste. Continue to promote the comprehensive utilization of straw.
(V) Strengthen the efficient utilization of renewable resources. Encourage the reasonable extension of the industrial chain of deep processing of renewable resources such as scrap steel, scrap non-ferrous metals, waste paper, and waste plastics. Support the green, mechanized, and intelligent quality improvement of existing renewable resource processing and utilization projects. Encourage enterprises and scientific research institutions to strengthen the research and development of technology and equipment, and support the promotion and application of advanced technologies. Accelerate the promotion of sewage resource utilization, combine the upgrading and capacity expansion of existing sewage treatment facilities, systematically plan and build sewage recycling facilities, and implement regional recycled water recycling projects according to local conditions.
(VI) Guide the convenience and standardization of second-hand commodity transactions. Encourage the development of the "Internet + second-hand" model. Support the construction of centralized and standardized second-hand commodity trading markets in areas with conditions. Improve the second-hand goods transaction management system, study and formulate the management methods for online second-hand goods transactions, and improve the talent training and management mechanism of the second-hand goods evaluation and appraisal industry. Issue relevant specifications on the information clearing methods of second-hand commodity trading companies when trading electronic products such as tablets and mobile phones to ensure the information security of sellers during second-hand goods transactions. Study and resolve intellectual property issues related to services such as resale and renovation of used goods or related goods. Support the export of used cars that meet quality and other relevant requirements.
(VII) Promote the remanufacturing of waste equipment. Promote the development of remanufacturing industries in traditional fields such as auto parts, engineering machinery, machine tools, cultural and office equipment, and explore the orderly remanufacturing of high-end equipment in new fields such as shield machines, aircraft engines, and industrial robots. Promote the application of common key technologies for remanufacturing such as non-destructive testing, additive manufacturing, and flexible processing. On the premise of fulfilling the obligation to inform consumers and obtaining their consent, encourage the application of remanufactured auto parts in after-sales maintenance and other fields.
(VIII) Promote the energy utilization of waste. Accelerate the construction of urban domestic waste treatment facilities and make up for the shortcomings in the incineration and treatment capacity of domestic waste in county-level areas. Orderly promote the construction of kitchen waste treatment facilities and improve the level of energy and resource utilization of kitchen waste such as waste grease. Promote the development and utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass energy in accordance with local conditions and steadily promote the diversified development and utilization of biomass energy. Under the premise of complying with relevant laws and regulations, environmental and safety standards, and technical feasibility and controllable environmental risks, orderly promote the coordinated disposal of some solid waste by incineration facilities for domestic waste.
(IX) Promote resource-circulating production models. Promote the cascade utilization of energy, recycling of water resources, and comprehensive utilization of solid waste within enterprises, parks, and industries, and strengthen the resource utilization of industrial waste pressure and waste heat and waste gas and waste liquid. Study and formulate guidelines for the development of circular economy in the manufacturing industry. Strengthen the clean production review and result application of enterprises in key industries. Deepen the construction of green mines. Promote the recovery and resource utilization of waste gas in the production process of key industries. Support the exploration and application of carbon dioxide resource utilization and carbon fixation technology models. Deepen the implementation of circular transformation of parks. Actively promote the construction of ecological industrial parks. Promote circular agricultural production models such as the combination of planting and breeding, and the combination of agriculture and animal husbandry.
IV. Strengthen the recycling of key wastes
(X) Strengthen the recycling of waste power batteries. Strengthen the traceability management of power batteries for new energy vehicles. Organize and carry out the producer recycling target responsibility system action. Establish and improve the standard system of power battery ecological design, carbon footprint accounting, etc., actively participate in the formulation of international standards for power battery recycling, and promote international cooperation and mutual recognition of standards and norms. Vigorously promote the quality certification of power battery cascade utilization products, and study and formulate technical specifications for waste power battery recycling and dismantling enterprises. Carry out joint special inspection actions to clean up the "workshop-style recycling" of waste power batteries. Study the management policy of used power battery imports.
(XI) Strengthen the recycling of low-value recyclables. Guide local governments to improve the catalog of low-value recyclables, and continuously improve the classification accuracy of low-value recyclables such as waste glass and low-value waste plastics in the classification of domestic waste. Support local governments to include the recycling and utilization of low-value recyclables in the scope of government procurement services. Encourage local governments to explore the adoption of franchise and other methods to promote the recycling and utilization of low-value recyclables. Encourage local governments with conditions to implement subsidies for the recycling and utilization of low-value recyclables.
(XII) Explore new waste recycling paths. Promote the recycling of retired wind power and photovoltaic equipment, and establish and improve the responsibility mechanism for the treatment of retired equipment of wind power and photovoltaic power generation enterprises. Promote the recycling of waste in new infrastructure fields such as data centers and communication base stations. Study and revise the "Catalogue of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products Treatment", strengthen the management of new electrical and electronic waste, and improve supporting environmental management policies such as waste electrical and electronic product treatment qualification licenses.
V. Cultivate and expand the resource recycling industry
(13) Promote the development of industrial agglomeration. Carry out the "urban mineral" demonstration base upgrade action, support the development of industrial agglomeration areas such as the demonstration base for comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste and the comprehensive utilization base of industrial resources, and further promote the construction of key cities for the recycling system of waste materials. Implement the main functional area strategy, combine the requirements of ecological environment zoning control, and guide various regions to optimize the layout of resource recycling industry according to the resource endowment, industrial structure, waste characteristics and other conditions of the region.
(14) Cultivate backbone enterprises in the industry. Cultivate a group of backbone enterprises in the industry with advanced technology and equipment, standardized management and operation, outstanding innovation capabilities, and strong leading and driving force in different fields and regions. Encourage key urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas to establish and improve regional waste coordinated utilization mechanisms, and support the layout and construction of a number of regional waste recycling key projects. Support Chinese resource recycling enterprises to "go global" and make positive contributions to the construction of the Green Silk Road. Guide state-owned enterprises to play a key and exemplary role in waste recycling.
(15) Guide the standardized development of the industry. Implement standardized management of enterprises that process and utilize recycled resources such as waste electrical and electronic products, scrapped motor vehicles, waste plastics, scrap steel, and scrap non-ferrous metals. Strengthen the information-based supervision of solid waste pollution prevention and control, and promote the whole process monitoring and information-based traceability of solid waste. Strengthen the supervision and management of waste recycling enterprises to ensure stable and standard emissions. Investigate and punish illegal recycling and dismantling of scrapped motor vehicles and waste electrical and electronic products in accordance with the law. Strengthen the management of the recycling industry. Crack down on illegal and irregular activities in recycling and second-hand commodity transactions in accordance with the law.
Sixth, Improve the policy mechanism
(16) Improve the support policy. Make full use of existing funding channels to strengthen support for the construction of key waste recycling projects. Implement the preferential policies of value-added tax and corporate income tax for comprehensive resource utilization. Refine the relevant environmental protection standards and requirements for the storage or disposal of solid waste, comprehensively consider the environmental hazard level of solid waste, environmental protection standards, and the basis for tax collection and management, improve the policy implementation scope of solid waste environmental protection tax, increase collection and management efforts, and guide industrial solid waste to be recycled first. Promote the classification and metering of domestic waste in an orderly manner. Promote the application of green financial instruments such as green credit, green bonds, and green trusts, and guide financial institutions to increase their support for waste recycling projects in accordance with the principles of marketization and rule of law.
(17) Improve the land guarantee mechanism. All regions should coordinate the construction of recycling facilities such as classified collection, transfer and storage of social source waste in the region, include them in the scope of public infrastructure land use, and ensure reasonable land use needs. Encourage municipal people's governments to improve the land guarantee mechanism for resource recycling projects and set aside a certain amount of space in the planning to ensure resource recycling projects.
(18) Improve the scientific and technological innovation mechanism. Carry out demonstration projects of advanced technology for resource recycling, and dynamically update the national catalog of advanced and applicable process technology and equipment for comprehensive utilization of industrial resources. Encourage all regions to organize the promotion and docking, exchange and training of waste recycling technology, and promote the industrialization and application of technological achievements. Include the research and development of key process technology and equipment for waste recycling in the scope of support for key projects related to the National Key R&D Program. Support enterprises to carry out industry-university-research cooperation with universities and research institutes.
(19) Improve the promotion and application mechanism of recycled materials. Improve the standard system of recycled materials. Study and establish a recycled materials certification system to promote international cooperation and mutual recognition. Conduct research on standards and methods for carbon footprint accounting of key recycled materials. Establish government green procurement demand standards to include more qualified recycled materials and products in the scope of government green procurement. Combined with the implementation of the extended producer responsibility system, carry out recycled materials application upgrade actions to guide automobile, electrical and electronic product manufacturers to increase the proportion of recycled materials. Encourage enterprises to include the application of recycled materials in the scope of corporate social responsibility.
VII. Strengthen organizational implementation
(20) Strengthen organizational leadership. Adhere to strengthening the overall leadership of the Party and the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, implement the Party's leadership in all areas and throughout the process of accelerating the green transformation of development methods, and effectively accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system. All regions and relevant departments should improve the working mechanism, refine the goals and tasks, and ensure that all policy measures and key tasks are implemented and effective. The National Development and Reform Commission shall strengthen overall coordination, timely evaluate the implementation of this opinion, and work with relevant departments to explore the evaluation of the effectiveness of urban resource recycling, with the focus on the construction of waste recycling systems, cities that have carried out domestic waste classification, and "zero-waste cities" as the main body, and strengthen support and guidance. Report major matters in a timely manner.
(XXI) Strengthen publicity and guidance. Incorporate circular economy knowledge and concepts into relevant education and training systems. Carry out various publicity and education activities on important time nodes such as China Ecological Day, China Energy Conservation Publicity Week, China Low Carbon Day, and Environment Day, and vigorously publicize the importance of waste recycling and related policies and measures. Timely summarize and promote advanced experiences and typical practices.
(XXII) Strengthen international cooperation. Actively participate in the setting of international circular economy agendas, and strengthen international cooperation in frameworks and multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Establish bilateral cooperation mechanisms in the field of circular economy with more key countries and regions, and deepen bilateral cooperation in the form of policy dialogue, economic and trade cooperation, experience sharing, and capacity building.
General Office of the State Council
February 6, 2024
(This article has been edited)