China has unveiled a multi-year plan aimed at expanding its industrial resource recycling efforts, focusing on recovering valuable materials from discarded electronics, vehicles, and clean energy products. The initiative, announced by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on July 25, is part of the country’s broader strategy to enhance resource security and accelerate its transition toward a green, low-carbon economy.

The blueprint addresses growing concerns over resource availability amid heightened geopolitical tensions and the drive for sustainable development. The NDRC highlighted the increasing complexity of global geopolitical dynamics influencing green development, underscoring the importance of ensuring stable access to critical minerals and raw materials.

Key targets set in the plan include a 16 percent increase in resource productivity by 2030 compared to 2025 levels. Resource productivity is defined as the ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) to the consumption of key raw materials such as fossil fuels, steel, and non-ferrous metals. The recycling industry’s total output value is projected to grow to 8 trillion yuan (approximately HK$9.24 trillion) by 2030, up from an estimated 5 trillion yuan in 2025.

China aims to elevate its recycling infrastructure to world-class standards by 2035, seeking to close the gap with regional leaders like Japan and South Korea. This effort involves building a more detailed and comprehensive recycling system, particularly for solid waste and strategic minerals.

The plan also aligns with China’s commitment to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, even as the country remains the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter. Securing critical minerals, which have become strategic assets amid global tensions, is a central element of the strategy. The blueprint calls for better recovery and reuse of industrial materials and a strengthened review of utilization rates for these minerals.

A notable focus of the plan is on the green export sectors, including new-energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar panels, which have faced challenges related to oversupply. The government intends to expand recycling systems for these products, requiring manufacturers of electric vehicles and their batteries to assume responsibility for recycling through enhanced tracking of product life cycles.

By implementing these measures, China aims to bolster its resource security, reduce waste, and further its green transition amid evolving global economic and environmental pressures.