Action plan to turn waste into value

China will intensify efforts to harness market forces and new technologies to boost its circular economy and curb illegal waste disposal as part of a broader push to overhaul solid waste management nationwide, officials said.

They made the remarks at a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday, following the release of an action plan by central authorities aimed at strengthening solid waste treatment capacity.

Unveiled by the State Council late last month, the plan prioritizes the treatment of solid waste that directly affects public health and workplace safety. It calls for the accelerated establishment of a comprehensive, long-term governance framework, along with resolute measures to rein in the growth of accumulated solid waste.

The plan sets targets to raise the country's annual utilization of bulk solid waste to about 4.5 billion metric tons and the annual volume of recycled major renewable resources to 510 million tons by 2030.

It also pledges to establish a rational pricing mechanism for solid waste to encourage corporate investment in waste treatment technologies and foster sustainable business models, tapping the potential of market forces to advance the circular economy.

Zhou Haibing, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said comprehensive solid waste management must adhere to the principles of reduction, resource utilization and harmless disposal, with the first two embodying the core tenets of a circular economy.

"By developing a circular economy and harnessing the resource potential of solid waste, we can turn waste into value and transform its associated risks into opportunities," Zhou said.

He outlined a series of measures to promote the circular economy, including steps to advance resource recycling projects and expand the use of recycled materials.

In addition to coordinating existing funding channels to support eligible recycling projects, the government will guide local authorities to allocate at least 1 percent of land designated for industrial use to related facilities, Zhou said.

He added that regulators will combine policy tools and market mechanisms to encourage manufacturers to increase their use of recycled materials, including metals, plastics and paper pulp.

The effort will be supported by clearer standards and certification systems for recycled materials, progress in carbon footprint verification for such products, and the inclusion of recycled inputs in corporate social responsibility criteria, Zhou said.

Leveraging the rollout of the action plan, Li Gao, vice-minister of ecology and environment, said the ministry will intensify an ongoing nationwide three-year campaign against illegal solid waste disposal, and use advanced technologies such as satellite remote sensing and drone surveillance, as well as public tip-offs.

Launched in June 2025, the campaign targets urban-rural junctions, administrative border areas, zones near mountains and water bodies, and ecologically sensitive sites such as mine pits and karst caves, Li said.

He highlighted the campaign's successes, adding that by the end of December, authorities had identified 27,000 violations nationwide, addressed 17,700 of them and cleared 34.6 million tons of solid waste.

Li said the ministry will expand public and media oversight to sustain its momentum.

He stressed the need to strengthen supervision and enforcement across the entire waste life cycle, from generation to final disposal. Cases involving clear malicious intent and significant environmental damage will be prioritized and directly overseen by the ministry, he said.

The ministry will continue working to ensure smoother coordination between administrative enforcement and criminal justice, maintaining high-pressure deterrence, Li added.