From traditional frugality to recycling powerhouse: China's green transformation

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(Xinhua) 08:23, February 17, 2025

TIANJIN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- At an incineration power plant in north China's Tianjin Municipality, garbage trucks unload waste that is left to ferment for five to seven days before being incinerated to generate electricity, efficiently contributing to sustainable energy production.

In operation for two decades, this waste incineration power plant exemplifies how the Chinese people have always valued and efficiently utilized resources. This tradition, rooted in ancient times, reflects the enduring practice of the circular economy in Chinese civilization.

"The facility can incinerate over 800 tonnes of waste daily and generated approximately 120 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2024, which was fed into the grid; enough to power around 100,000 households for a year," said Liu Xuejing, deputy general manager of the plant.

A staff member dumps waste at the Everbright Environmental Energy (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, north China, June 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

The history of resource recycling in China dates back to the Bronze Age. "Metal recycling was widespread in the country's metallurgical industry, with materials like scrap copper being reused repeatedly. Resource recycling played a crucial role in supporting economic activities and driving social progress," explained Wang Junfeng, director of the circular economy and low carbon development research center at Nankai University.

Today, from the development of the front-end industrial chain of resource recycling to the efficient transformation of recyclables, China has gradually forged a new path of circular development that combines economic value with ecological benefits. Innovative practices are underway across the country, enabling waste resources to be revitalized and regain their value.

RESOURCE RECYCLING INDUSTRY SYSTEM

Historical records show that recycled paper first emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in China. Waste paper pulp was repurposed into new paper, a process detailed in the Chinese scientific classic "The Exploitation of Nature's Works" ("Tian Gong Kai Wu") from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

More than 30 years ago in Tianjin, residents along the Ziya River began a "gold panning" business, going door to door to collect waste wires and discarded home appliances, which they dismantled in small family-run workshops.

However, nearly all of these workshops burned the waste to extract metal, releasing noxious gases that severely damaged the environment.

In 2003, the predecessor of the Tianjin Ziya Economic and Technological Development Area, the Tianjin Ziya Environmental Protection Industrial Park, was established, becoming one of the earliest and largest circular economy-focused industrial parks in northern China.

Today, the area features neatly built factory buildings, surrounded by lush greenery. Automated production lines enable precise and efficient dismantling, with factories operating almost entirely dust-free.

An aerial drone photo shows a circular economy industrial park of the Tianjin Ziya Economic and Technological Development Area in Tianjin, north China, Oct. 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Tianjin Xinneng Renewable Resources Co., Ltd., located in this area, is capable of recycling and dismantling over 100 scrapped cars each day.

"A scrapped vehicle can yield 0.7 tonnes of scrap steel. Through precision dismantling of the engine, nearly 50 types of recyclable materials can be recovered," said Zhang Guiyu, general manager of the company, adding that the company collaborates with resource recycling firms nationwide, particularly in the areas of copper and aluminum.

According to China's plan for circular economy development during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period, by 2025, the resource recycling industry system will be established, with the output value reaching 5 trillion yuan (about 697.3 billion U.S. dollars).

To promote the development of the recycling economy, China established a centrally administered state-owned enterprise, China Resources Recycling Group Co., Ltd., in October 2024 in Tianjin.

"We focus on resource recycling in traditional sectors such as scrap steel, electronic and electrical products, non-ferrous metals, plastics, and textiles, while also accelerating our efforts in emerging fields like scrap power batteries, retired new energy devices, and scrapped motor vehicle dismantling," said Liu Yu, chairman of the company.

Recently, the company launched a mobile phone safe recycling and disposal project in Tianjin and Shantou City, in south China's Guangdong Province. Consumers can send their mobile phones to the company for secure recycling by mail or opt for door-to-door collection. This process not only ensures the protection of personal information but also enables the extraction of rare and precious metals.

A staff member drives a cart to collect waste from households in Nankai District of Tianjin, north China, Nov. 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

FLOURISHING CIRCULAR ECONOMY

China's resource-recycling industry is evolving from traditional recycling practices to a high-tech, high-quality sector, said Zhu Liyang, president of the China Association of Circular Economy.