China's move toward a circular economy will boost recycling

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The State Council in China, the top executive body in the world's most populous country, has issued a plan prepared by the National Development and Reform Commission which will dramatically affect the global recycling industry.

The plan calls for the country to move toward a "circular economy." The China People's Daily, a government-owned periodical, describes a circular economy as one which attempts to strike a balance between economic development and environmental and resource protection. The new plan includes a pledge to strengthen environmental regulations and to boost the annual output of the country's recycling industry to $287 billion per year by 2015. This includes a major expansion of the recycling collection and processing infrastructure in China.

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