Abstract: On January 8, 2024, the "Research Report on the Recycling of Low-value Recyclables in China" released by the Institute of Economic System and Management of the National Development and Reform Commission shows that in 2021, in addition to bulky garbage, the production of various low-value recyclables in China will be about 95.77 million tons, the recycling volume will be about 25.47 million tons, and the total recovery rate will be about 26.6%, and more than 70 million tons will still be mixed into domestic waste incineration or landfill, which is far lower than 75% of China's main renewable resources The above average recycling rate.On January 8, 2024, the "Research Report on the Recycling of Low-value Recyclables in China" released by the Institute of Economic System and Management of the National Development and Reform Commission shows that in 2021, in addition to bulky garbage, China's various low-value recyclables will produce about 95.77 million tons, and the recycling volume will be about 25.47 million tons, with a total recovery rate of about 26.6%, and more than 70 million tons will still be mixed into domestic waste incineration or landfill, which is far lower than the average recycling rate of more than 75% of China's major renewable resources.According to the report, low-value recyclables are a concept relative to high-value wastes such as scrapped cars and waste household appliances, mainly referring to all kinds of wastes generated in production and life with certain recycling value, which can be recycled through certain technical and economic means and obtain certain economic benefits, but due to the poor economic benefits of recycling, it is difficult to achieve a high proportion of recycling by relying solely on the spontaneous behavior of business entities, such as waste glass, waste textiles, beverage paper-based composite packaging, low-value plastic packaging, Chemical fertilizer and pesticide packaging, plastic film, etc.According to the report, in 2021, China will produce a total of 50.21 million tons of waste low-value plastic packaging, 22.75 million tons of waste glass, 21.24 million tons of waste textiles, 1.32 million tons of agricultural mulch film, 640,000 tons of beverage paper-based composite packaging, 125,600 tons of fertilizer packaging and 117,000 tons of pesticide packaging, and the overall production is large.In 2021, the total amount of low-value recyclables recycled in China will be about 25.47 million tons, with a recycling rate of about 26.6%. Among them, the recycling rate of waste agricultural mulch film reached 60.6%, and the recycling rate of pesticide packaging waste, beverage paper-based composite packaging, daily waste glass, waste textiles, and low-value plastic packaging was 58.6%, 33.1%, 27.1%, 21% and 19.5%, respectively, and the overall recycling rate was low. "More than 70 million tons of domestic waste are still mixed into domestic waste incineration or landfill every year, which has become the biggest shortcoming of the construction of waste recycling system. Zhang Deyuan, director of the Circular Economy Research Office of the Institute of Economic System and Management of the National Development and Reform Commission, said.Zhang Deyuan calculated an account: if by 2030, the recovery rate of low-value recyclables will increase from the current 26.6% to 50%, 47.9 million tons of low-value recyclable recycling can be achieved every year, and more than 45 million tons of renewable resources such as recycled plastics and recycled paper will be added to the society, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 127.47 million tons, which should be highly valued by all sectors of society.According to the report, at present, only 18 cities across the country have issued a "low-value recyclables catalog" or special management measures, etc., and appropriately subsidize the recycling of low-value recyclables, but most cities do not pay enough attention to this. Low-value recyclables are basically in the "three regardless" zone where local governments do not pay attention, enterprises are not highly motivated to recycle, and the people's awareness of classification is indifferent.The report proposes that the next step in China's low-value recyclables is to strengthen the top-level design and system supply, local governments to strengthen system construction and policy guarantees, enterprises to strengthen technological model innovation, and the broad participation of the masses of the people to form a governance pattern of co-governance and sharing of relevant subjects.The report suggests that different types of low-value recyclables should be recycled according to their physical properties and different recycling channels: for waste glass and waste textiles, it is advisable to adopt a franchise model and build an independent collection, transportation and disposal system; For waste fertilizer and pesticide packaging and mulch film, it is advisable to introduce an extended producer responsibility system, establish a regional recycling alliance, and adopt a deposit recycling model for centralized collection and disposal.Wang Yonggang, Secretary-General of the Recycled Plastics Branch of the China Materials Recycling Association, said that paying attention to and strengthening the recycling of low-value waste plastics provides a core solution to solve plastic pollution, expands the space for further improving the recycling rate of waste plastics, and opens up new ideas for plastic recycling. He suggested that efforts should be made to turn low-value waste plastics into high-value waste plastics and promote the sustainable and green development of the recycled plastics industry by improving design, strengthening policy support, raising public awareness, promoting the waste classification system, reducing recycling costs, and promoting the use of recycled plastics."Promoting the construction and improvement of the recycling system of low-value recyclables is an important part of building a waste recycling system, and it is also an important way to effectively deal with plastic pollution, scientifically utilize various resources, and improve resource output. Zhang Deyuan said.
Source: Official Account (China Circular Economy)
