China adopts law to promote “recycling economy”

The legislation, which was passed by the National Peoples' Congress (NPC) on Friday (August 29), will require government departments to map out systems for both recycling and “waste re-utilisation”.

Emphasising energy-saving alongside recycling as part of a “circular economy”, the law places particular responsibility on businesses to boost their sustainability and reduce their use of resources.

The official Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, reported that “The government will launch close monitoring over high-consumption and high-emission industries, including the steel and non-ferrous metal production, power generation, oil refining, construction and printing industries.”

Recycle

Xinhua added that: “Enterprises should recycle and make comprehensive use of coal mine waste, coal ash, and other waste materials.”

And, the new legislation, which will be introduced on January 1 2009, will also involve the Chinese government allocating financial support for companies that look to encourage innovation in recycling technologies.

Ni Yuefeng, a member of the NPC standing committee that passed the law, said: “Developing a recycling economy will help the country to achieve a maximal economic efficiency through minimal energy consumption and emissions.”

Export market

China is a major export market for recyclable materials collected in the UK, something that was acknowledged in a WRAP report published last month examining the carbon impact of selling materials to the fast-growing economy (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, one commentator told letsrecycle.com that the new legislation's emphasis on boosting Chinese domestic recycling and sustainable use of resources could, in the long term, impact on those markets. He said: “Many in the recovered paper sector are pointing to the increasing level of newspaper readership in China. During the Olympics hundreds of thousands more copies of papers were sold and this is a trend that is likely to continue.”

And, he highlighted the fact that the law represented recognition by the Chinese government that it needed to address issues with securing resources for its industry and the impact of high commodity prices on its economy.