Have you ever wondered how China is tackling its plastic and paper waste? Let’s take a closer look at some of the top recycling plant factories in China, from plastic bottle recycling to paper processing, and see how they are making a significant impact on the environment.
Huafei Plastic Recycling Plant
Product Details: Veolia Huafei operates five companies located in Anji, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Changsha. The company purchases waste plastic and recycles it to produce recycled PET, PP, HDPE, and other engineering materials. These materials are widely used in polyester, packaging, automobiles, digital products, and household appliances. The design capacity includes 100,000 tons of recycled PET flakes, 100,000 tons of recycled PET pellets, and 50,000 tons of recycled PP/HDPE/ABS particles. The Anji project in Zhejiang province obtained the Global Recycled Standard system certification in 2016.
Pros:
– High-quality recycled materials produced, includin…
– Materials are certified by Global Recycled Standar…
– Wide application in various industries such as pac…
– Contributes to the circular economy by recycling w…
Cons:
– No specific information on potential drawbacks or…
– The high investment and operational costs associat…
Plastic Recycling Plants In China
The Micro-Pak Plastic Recycling Factory
Product Details: Micro-Pak’s plastic recycling factory, named Rolling Star (Hubei) New Material Co, Ltd., is located in Hubei, China, and commenced operations in April 2023. The factory has a current recycling capacity of over 10 metric tonnes of plastic per day. It is certified with GRS 4.0, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 50001, ZDHC Supplier to Zero Level 1, and SMETA 4-Pillar. The factory produces high-quality 100% post-consumer recycled resin and is equipped with advanced air emissions and water treatment systems, with 95% of the water reused and plans for solar panels and electric vehicles.
Pros:
– High recycling capacity of over 10 metric tonnes p…
– Produces high-quality 100% post-consumer recycled…
– Certified with multiple international standards fo…
– Advanced environmental management with minimal wat…
– Offers plastic offset credits to customers, enabli…
– Allows existing suppliers to use the recycled resi…
Cons:
– Initial investment and operational costs for setti…
– Dependence on third-party auditors for verifying p…
– Potential logistical challenges in sourcing and pr…
Tonglu WEEE Recycling Plant
Product Details: The Tonglu WEEE Recycling Plant, located in Tonglu, Hangzhou, is Veolia China’s first home appliance recycling project. It has six dismantling lines capable of dismantling TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, computers, and other electrical products. The plant recycles renewable resources such as iron, aluminum, copper, glass, plastic, and other rare metals. It was named a model plant for resources recycling and has a treatment capacity of 4.52 million units/year and a total treatment volume of 101,930 tons/year.
Pros:
– Efficient dismantling and recycling of a wide rang…
– High recovery rates of valuable materials such as…
– Named a model plant for resources recycling, contr…
– Significant treatment capacity, handling 4.52 mill…
Cons:
– No specific information on potential environmental…
– The need for continuous investment in technology a…
Piling Up: How China’s Ban on Importing Waste Has …
Product Details: China’s ‘National Sword’ policy, enacted in January 2018, banned the import of most plastics and other materials, significantly impacting global recycling. This policy was a response to the overwhelming amount of soiled and contaminated materials being sent to China. The ban resulted in a 99% drop in China’s plastics imports and a third reduction in mixed paper imports. Recycled aluminum and glass were less affected. The policy forced a global shift in how materials are processed, with many countries struggling to manage the surplus of plastic waste.
Pros:
– The ban could lead to better solutions for managin…
– It serves as a wake-up call to the world on the ne…
Cons:
– The ban exacerbated the already massive waste prob…
– It led to increased costs for consumers, closure o…
– Lower-income countries, primarily in Southeast Asi…
China’s municipal recycling creates under-utilized …
Product Details: China’s municipal recycling and organics diversion programs have led to a significant reduction in waste sent to incineration and landfills. Since Shanghai introduced mandatory waste sorting in July 2019, the city has seen a 29% decline in incinerated and landfilled waste from 7.78 million metric tons in 2018 to 5.49 million metric tons in 2021. Meanwhile, materials diverted for recycling and organics processing increased by 284% from 1.68 million metric tons in 2017 to 6.46 million metric tons in 2021.
Pros:
– Successful recycling and organics diversion progra…
– The programs have contributed to China’s circular…
– The reduction in waste sent to incineration and la…
Cons:
– The increased recycling and diversion efforts have…
– Overcapacity issues have arisen, with 11 provinces…
– Private investments in incinerators may not be pro…
– Contradictory government policies have led to inef…
Company builds plastic recycling plant in China
Product Details: The plastic recycling plant, constructed by Zhenjiang Ceville in Zhenjiang, China, includes units for washing, shredding, and pelletizing waste bottles. It also features facilities for the chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The plant has a capacity to produce 100,000 tons of mechanically recycled PET pellets annually, including 40,000 tons of food-grade PET and polyethylene/polypropylene (rPE/rPP) pellets, and 10,000 tons of chemically recycled PET pellets. The total investment is estimated at 500 million yuan (US$69 million). The chemical recycling unit is set to operate in the first quarter of 2025, with other units starting between the second and third quarter
of the same year.
Pros:
– High production capacity of 100,000 tons of mechan…
– Produces food-grade recycled PET, certified by the…
– Reduces reliance on virgin plastics and minimizes…
– Contributes to meeting local demand for recycled p…
Cons:
– Significant initial investment of 500 million yuan…
– Dependence on specific operational timelines for d…
Paper Recycling Plants In China
Product Details: The directory lists 21 paper recycling plants in China. These plants process waste paper and cardboard into recycled paper and pulp. Key details include the company name, location, materials accepted, and the capacity of materials processed per year. For example, Xinxiang Xinya Paper Group Co., Ltd. processes 1,430,000 tons of waste paper annually, while Zhejiang Jingxing Paper Co., Ltd. processes 450,000 tons. Other notable companies include Bestway Paper Group Co., Ltd., Dongguan Dongtang Paper Co., Ltd., and Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited.
Pros:
– Comprehensive directory providing detailed informa…
– Includes data on materials accepted, recycled prod…
– Helpful for businesses and individuals looking to…
Cons:
– Limited to 21 listed companies, which may not repr…
– No additional services or support information prov…
– No user reviews or ratings available to assess the…
Carbios, Zhink Group enter joint letter of intent for PET …
Product Details: The partnership between CARBIOS and Zhink Group involves building a PET biorecycling plant in China with a minimum annual processing capacity of 50,000 tons of prepared PET waste. The plant will utilize CARBIOS’ enzymatic depolymerization technology to recycle all types of PET waste, including hard-to-recycle materials like opaque and colored bottles, multilayer food trays, and textile waste. The plant will serve regional and global packaging and textile markets.
Pros:
– Enables efficient and solvent-free recycling of PE…
– Reduces CO2 emissions by 57% compared to virgin PE…
– Promotes a circular economy with high-quality prod…
– Can process all types of PET waste, including hard…
– Supports China’s target of carbon neutrality by 20…
Cons:
– No specific cons mentioned in the sources, but pot…
China to build solar recycling system by 2025
Product Details: China is planning to establish a recycling system for retired solar PV panels by 2025. The National Development and Reform Commission aims to build a mechanism for disposing of decommissioned equipment in solar PV plants and improve relevant standards and specifications for recycling. By 2030, the commission targets a mature full-process recycling system, matching the resource recycling capacity and decommissioning scale. Solar PV manufacturers and companies are required to handle retired equipment and are not allowed to dump it in landfill sites. The government supports both manufacturers and third-party recycling companies in this endeavor.
Pros:
– Encourages sustainable management of decommissione…
– Supports the development of a recycling industry c…
– Promotes the re-manufacturing of key components su…
– Enhances security of supply by recycling materials…
Cons:
– Existing recycling processes struggle to generate…
– No mature standards have been introduced for the r…
Comparison Table
| Company | Product Details | Pros | Cons | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huafei Plastic Recycling Plant | Veolia Huafei operates five companies located in Anji, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Changsha. The company pu… | – High-quality recycled materials produced, includin… – Materials are certified by Global Recycled… | – No specific information on potential drawbacks or… – The high investment and operational costs a… | www.veolia.cn |
| Plastic Recycling Plants In China | www.enfplastic.com | |||
| The Micro-Pak Plastic Recycling Factory | Micro-Pak’s plastic recycling factory, named Rolling Star (Hubei) New Material Co, Ltd., is located… | – High recycling capacity of over 10 metric tonnes p… – Produces high-quality 100% post-consumer r… | – Initial investment and operational costs for setti… – Dependence on third-party auditors for ver… | www.micropakltd.com |
| Tonglu WEEE Recycling Plant | The Tonglu WEEE Recycling Plant, located in Tonglu, Hangzhou, is Veolia China’s first home appliance… | – Efficient dismantling and recycling of a wide rang… – High recovery rates of valuable materials… | – No specific information on potential environmental… – The need for continuous investment in tech… | www.veolia.cn |
| Piling Up: How China’s Ban on Importing Waste Has … | China’s ‘National Sword’ policy, enacted in January 2018, banned the import of most plastics and oth… | – The ban could lead to better solutions for managin… – It serves as a wake-up call to the world o… | – The ban exacerbated the already massive waste prob… – It led to increased costs for consumers, c… | e360.yale.edu |
| China’s municipal recycling creates under-utilized … | China’s municipal recycling and organics diversion programs have led to a significant reduction in w… | – Successful recycling and organics diversion progra… – The programs have contributed to China’s c… | – The increased recycling and diversion efforts have… – Overcapacity issues have arisen, with 11 p… | www.wastetodaymagazine.com |
| Company builds plastic recycling plant in China | The plastic recycling plant, constructed by Zhenjiang Ceville in Zhenjiang, China, includes units fo… | – High production capacity of 100,000 tons of mechan… – Produces food-grade recycled PET, certifie… | – Significant initial investment of 500 million yuan… – Dependence on specific operational timelin… | inspenet.com |
| Paper Recycling Plants In China | The directory lists 21 paper recycling plants in China. These plants process waste paper and cardboa… | – Comprehensive directory providing detailed informa… – Includes data on materials accepted, recyc… | – Limited to 21 listed companies, which may not repr… – No additional services or support informat… | www.enfpaper.com |
| Carbios, Zhink Group enter joint letter of intent for PET … | The partnership between CARBIOS and Zhink Group involves building a PET biorecycling plant in China… | – Enables efficient and solvent-free recycling of PE… – Reduces CO2 emissions by 57% compared to v… | – No specific cons mentioned in the sources, but pot… | www.recyclingtoday.com |
| China to build solar recycling system by 2025 | China is planning to establish a recycling system for retired solar PV panels by 2025. The National… | – Encourages sustainable management of decommissione… – Supports the development of a recycling in… | – Existing recycling processes struggle to generate… – No mature standards have been introduced fo… | www.pv-tech.org |
