China to boost recycling industry for greener growth

BEIJING - Chinese authorities on Thursday released an action plan to boost the recycling industry amid government efforts to promote green and sustainable growth.

By 2020, China aims to increase the output value of the resource recycling industry to 3 trillion yuan ($434.8 billion), a jump of 67 percent from the 2015 level, according to the plan jointly released by 14 agencies including the top economic planner and environmental watchdog.

The resource productivity ratio should rise by 15 percent from the 2015 level, and the recycling utilization ratio of major waste should reach 54.6 percent by 2020, said the plan.

Through the efforts, China hopes to foster a green, low carbon development model to encourage green lifestyles and green consumption among the public.

The plan came as the Chinese government is intensifying efforts to address rampant pollution and build a greener economy for long-term good.

In the country's 13th Five-Year Plan for the 2016-2020 period, the government has made green development one of its major priorities.

According to a government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang in March, China aims to cut the energy consumption per unit of GDP by at least 3.4 percent in 2017, while targeting continued reductions in the emission of major pollutants.