China announced “14th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development” 
On July 7, 2021, China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced the “14th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development”. The Plan aims to greatly improve the overall resource utilization capacity, build a resource recycling industrial system, and develop the circular economy by 2025.
Key implementation items
To achieve this goal, the following are listed as key implementation items.
recycling in key areas such as urban areas and industrial parks, reuse of large amounts of solid waste and construction waste, technological innovation for circular economy, promotion of industrial equipment remanufacturing, recycling of waste electronic and electrical equipment and waste plastics, promotion of automobile life cycle management, reduction of packaging waste of online products and the recycling of waste power batteries for new energy vehicles.
Major contents for recycling of waste power batteries
The major contents for recycling of waste power batteries in action plan is as follows.
- Establish a traceability management system for the collection and recycling of waste power batteries.
- Establish a recycling service network in collaboration with new energy vehicle manufacturers and waste power battery cascade utilization companies
- (Cascade: To take out the power battery and reuse it for another purpose.)
- In order to promote the cascade use of waste power batteries, the technology level of residual capacity detection, repackaging and safety management will be improved.
- To disseminate advanced technologies for recycling and cascade use of waste power batteries.
- To systematize the standard of waste power battery recycling.
- To foster enterprises engaged in waste power battery recycling and promote the development of the waste power battery recycling industry.
Activities related to the recycling of waste power batteries will be carried out by organizations such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
EnviX Comments
In March 2021, the establishment of power batteries recycling system was listed as one of the key policies for the first time in China’s government action report. As the life of power batteries in the market approaches the end, recycling has become one of the key issues in the development of the new energy vehicle industry.
The “14th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development” released by the National Development and Reform Commission of China can be viewed at the following URL. (Simplified Chinese)
Website of the National Development and Reform Commission of China
https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xwdt/tzgg/202107/P020210707325480706163.pdf
Actions Report of the 13th National People’s Congress of the Chinese Government in 2021
http://www.gov.cn/guowuyuan/zfgzbg.htm
