China has rolled out a comprehensive national action plan to create a “dynamic balance” between the generation of industrial solid waste and the country’s processing capacity across key sectors. Introduced earlier this year by the State Council, the strategy prioritizes the management of solid wastes that directly impact public health and workplace safety. The blueprint heavily focuses on waste reduction at the source and the elimination of historically accumulated waste stockpiles.
An 11 Billion-Ton Challenge: The Current Situation
The drastic scale of the problem was highlighted by Li Gao, vice-minister of ecology and environment, during a recent press conference organized by the State Council Information Office. According to official data, China generates over 11 billion metric tons of solid waste annually. This staggering volume encompasses industrial, construction, household, agricultural, and hazardous waste categories.
The vice-minister specifically drew attention to the significant difficulties in managing the growing volume of industrial solid waste. China’s heavy industry sectors—particularly mining, metallurgy, and power generation—continue to produce massive amounts of solid waste, further exacerbating the logistical and environmental challenges posed by already massive historical stockpiles.
Quantitative Targets for 2030
The new action plan mandates the accelerated establishment of a long-term, comprehensive management framework and curbing the growth of solid waste, with a specific focus on the industrial sector. The document sets strict and measurable targets to be achieved by 2030:
-
The annual utilization of bulk industrial solid waste must reach 4.5 billion metric tons.
-
The annual volume of major recycled renewable resources is planned to rise to 510 million tons.
-
Under the action plan, the country must remediate at least 60 percent of historically accumulated solid waste sites.
Mine Reclamation and Environmental Remediation
Vice-minister Li Gao pledged that the ministry is actively seeking new channels for the large-scale disposal and utilization of industrial solid waste, while simultaneously accelerating the remediation of sites with historically accumulated stockpiles.
Moving forward, the ministry will continue to guide provinces in conducting pilot projects that use bulk industrial solid waste for the restoration and backfilling of open-pit mines and other areas. Additionally, efforts will be intensified to identify and mitigate the environmental safety risks of heavy metal mines, tailings ponds, waste yards, and hazardous waste landfills. For sites that meet environmental regulations, authorities will proactively intervene to ensure closure and high-standard ecological restoration. (As a practical example, the article cites the city of Wuhu in Anhui province, where a zero-carbon factory for recycling new energy vehicle batteries is being built on the site of an abandoned mine pit.)
Green Design for “Zero-Waste” Industries
In addition to enhancing the comprehensive utilization of waste, Wang Peng, director-general of energy conservation and comprehensive utilization at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, identified source reduction as one of his department’s top priorities.
“We will integrate green design at the initial manufacturing stage and implement green manufacturing throughout the entire process to minimize industrial solid waste at the source and improve the overall environmental performance of industrial products,” the director-general stated.
Focusing on the primary waste-generating industries—including steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, and chemicals—the ministry will guide industrial parks and enterprises in executing “zero-waste” transformations, thereby mitigating the intensity of solid waste generation.
Official Sources and References: