The Chinese government is to introduce a massive programme to ensure it recycles 70 per cent of its own waste by 2015.
The Ministry of Commerce in China has said that it will introduce a “complete and advanced” programme that will include a complete waste collection network with advanced technologies to sort and manage waste products.
Major waste products it intends to focus on are metal, paper, plastic, glass, tyres, cars and electronic devices.
In a statement, the Ministry said: “It is extremely urgent to establish such a system – the absence of which not only prevents the recycling of resources but also poses an imminent threat to the environment.”
China is to encourage a broad range of investments to carry out the strategy. Small- and medium-sized enterprises will be employed to carry out the collection work with policies on land use and financing being favourable to them.
An extended duty will also be placed on producers and sellers to facilitate recycling under which convenience and efficient recycling of a product should be considered during its design and manufacture.
According to the Ministry, China recycled 140 million tonnes of waste in 2009, worth $78.85 billion (£49.28 billion).
