China aims for 70% post-consumer recycling by 2015

Aware of the need to improve resource efficiency, China’s state bodies are gearing up to increase recycling across the country, aiming for a 70 percent recycling rate for consumer products by the end of 2015.

The National Supply and Marketing Co-operative General Agency has just released its “Opinion on the Acceleration of Construction of Post-Consumer Recycling Systems”, which says that my the end of the 12th Five Year Plan in 2015, over 80 percent of urban communities will establish standardized recycling stations and 1,000 recylced material markets. The system’s consumer products will account for over 60 percent of the volume of all recycled materials.

Previously the State Council had released its “Opinion on the Establishment of a Complete, Modern Consumer Recyclables System”, which states that by 2015, the recycling rate of various consumer products will reach 70 percent.

In order to promote the establishment of a national consumer recyclables collection system, improving the coverage of recycling services, eight main tasks have been identified:

• Strengthen the network of recycling stations;
• Develop the recyclables markets;
• Strengthen integrated reuse industry areas;
• Encourage establishment of large-scale recycling enterprises;
• Improve innovation in recycling technologies;
• Accelerate recycling methods and industry innovation;
• Target key products for recycling including metals, paper, plastic, and automobiles; and
• Capitalize on the coordination and service functions of industry organizations.

According to National Economic Development and Reform Minister Min Xuechong, building an effective recycling system will require co-ordination between multiple agencies. Currently these agencies experience much overlap, yet weak foundation for cooperation, necessitating centralized support.

Min identifies three main areas for support from the central government: financial support in the form of subsidies tax policies and funds, supporting policy, and indices, systems support including record-keeping, measurement and evaluation of the systems.