Targeting the 2030 Goal of 19.5 Million Tonnes, Multiple Departments Push for Capacity Expansion and Efficiency Improvement of Recycled Plastics
On December 31, the National Development and Reform Commission and six other departments issued the Action Plan for the Promotion and Application of Recycled Materials. Recycled plastics were designated as a key category in the plan with systematic arrangements. Centering on the entire industrial chain—including enhancing supply capacity, expanding application scope, improving management systems, and refining supporting policies—the plan aims to drive the high-quality development of the recycled plastics industry and facilitate the transition to a circular economy and low-carbon development.
The relevant content is comprehensively summarized as follows:
I. Overall Positioning and Development Goals
Recycled plastics are listed as a key category of recycled materials for promotion, along with recycled steel, recycled non-ferrous metals and recycled paper.
By 2030, the goal is to achieve an annual output of recycled plastics exceeding 19.5 million tonnes.
The initiative aims to support and guarantee the security of industrial and supply chains, drive the green and low-carbon transition of key industries, and enhance contributions to resource security, energy conservation and carbon reduction through expanding the application of recycled plastics.
II. Enhance Supply Guarantee Capability
1. Improve High-quality Production Capacity:
Establish and improve a classified and graded supply system for recycled plastics, and accelerate the construction of a high-value recycling system for waste plastics.
2. Promote Technological Innovation and Application:
Support leading enterprises in the industry to actively carry out the industrialized application of chemical recycling of waste plastics, and expand the paths for the resourceful and high-value utilization of low-value plastic waste.
3. Improve the Construction of Recycling System:
Strengthen the construction of a source-sorted recycling system for waste plastics.
Further promote the refined dismantling of end-of-life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic products, waste mechanical and electrical products, etc., and improve the sorting accuracy of plastics and other materials as well as the separation and sorting capacity of mixed waste materials.
III. Expand the Application of Recycled Plastics in Key Fields
The plan specifies that large-scale and high-proportion application of recycled plastics should be promoted in a number of downstream industries:
Automotive Manufacturing: Encourage the take lead in realizing large-scale application of recycled plastics in interior and exterior parts. Support automobile manufacturers to jointly build a closed-loop supply system for recycled materials with recycling, processing and component enterprises.
Electrical and Electronic Products: On the premise of meeting the requirements for hazardous substance control, prioritize expanding the application of recycled plastics in non-moving parts, structural components and product packaging. Encourage the development of an industrial chain recycling system.
Battery Production: On the premise of ensuring performance and safety, encourage the use of recycled plastics in battery casing production.
Textile Industry: Encourage the use of recycled fibers in products with mature conditions, and increase the utilization of recycled fibers in sound insulation and thermal insulation materials.
Packaging Industry: Support the enhancement of green design for typical non-food-contact packaging such as cartons, shrink films, packaging bags and foam fillers, raise the proportion of recycled plastics applied, and encourage qualified enterprises to explore the use of 100% recycled materials as raw materials.
IV. Improve Usage Management Systems and Standards
1. Improve the Standard and Certification System
Improve the quality standard system for recycled plastics and similar materials, and strengthen requirements related to product quality, human health, safety and environmental protection.
Research and formulate relevant standards for the application of recycled plastics in key products such as automobiles and electrical and electronic products.
Encourage the exploration and research of carbon footprint accounting standards for recycled plastics.
Encourage certification bodies to carry out product certification for recycled materials.
Promote Data Traceability Management
Encourage the exploration and construction of a data traceability platform for recycled materials, strengthen full-process information-based traceability management, and guide production and application enterprises as well as third-party institutions to enhance their information-based management capabilities.
2. Promote Data Traceability Management
Encourage the exploration and construction of a data traceability platform for recycled materials, strengthen full-process information-based traceability management, and guide production and application enterprises as well as third-party institutions to enhance their information-based management capabilities.
V. Improve Supporting Policies for Application and Promotion
Link up with the Carbon Market Mechanism
Study and explore the implementation path for incorporating recycled plastic supply and application projects into the national voluntary greenhouse gas emission reduction trading market.
Improve Incentive Policies
Coordinate funds to support the recycling and utilization of renewable resources.
Study and promote the inclusion of certified products containing recycled plastics in the scope of green procurement by governments and public institutions.
Encourage enterprises to increase procurement efforts, and encourage leading enterprises to formulate and implement plans for the application and promotion of recycled materials.
Encourage Industrial Global Expansion
Improve the import policies for raw materials such as recycled non-ferrous metals, actively encourage domestic enterprises to "go global", and build an integrated resource recycling system connecting the international and domestic markets.
VI. Strengthen Organization, Implementation and Safeguards
Enhance Overall Coordination and Assessment
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other relevant departments shall strengthen the tracking, supervision and progress assessment of the application and promotion of key recycled materials (including plastics).
Strengthen Quality Management
Intensify the quality management of recycled plastics, fully enforce relevant standards, crack down on acts such as production and sale of counterfeit or shoddy goods and passing off substandard products as quality ones, and strengthen the management of recycling sources and cross-departmental joint law enforcement.
trengthen Publicity and Guidance
Conduct science popularization and publicity activities, disseminate knowledge on the application of recycled plastics through multiple channels, promote green consumption, and raise the participation of enterprises and recognition of the general public.
Summary:
The planning of recycled plastics in this plan embodies a systematic approach of "strengthening both ends, consolidating the middle and establishing supports": at the front end, strengthen the recycling system and high-value utilization technologies to ensure high-quality supply; at the back end, create stable demand in multiple key fields such as automotive, electronics and packaging; in the middle, establish a sound market environment and development supports through institutional and policy tools including standards, certification, traceability, carbon market and green procurement. Its ultimate goal is to build an efficient, standardized and large-scale production and application recycling system for recycled plastics, enabling it to play a core role in resource conservation and carbon emission reduction.
