China announces plan for industrial wastewater recycling 
On Dec. 24, China’s six government bodies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Ecology and Environment, jointly announced a plan for industrial wastewater recycling. The plan sets 2025 targets for industrial water recycling rates as well as key objectives and support measures to help achieve these targets.
The plan has been developed based on the Guiding Opinions on the Promotion of Wastewater Recycling issued in January 2021 by 10 government bodies, including the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Main targets
A main target of the plan is to raise to 94 percent by 2025 the recycling rate of water used by industrial companies in China “above a certain size”, which refer to companies with sales of more than 20 million yuan in their core business. This rate stood at 92.5 percent as of 2020. In addition, the plan has a target of reducing industrial water use per 10,000 yuan industry value added by 16 percent from the 2020 level. The table below shows the targets for industrial water recycling rates in key industries.
| Industry | Recycling rate of water used by industrial companies above a certain size* in 2020 | Recycling rate of water used by industrial companies above a certain size* in 2025 |
| Steel |
97% |
> 97% |
| Petrochemical/chemical |
93% |
> 94% |
| Paper |
82% |
> 87% |
| Textile |
73% |
> 78% |
| Food |
60% |
> 65% |
*Companies with sales of more than 20 million yuan in their core business.
Key objectives
The plan sets seven key objectives as follows:
- Implement measures to increase the wastewater recycling rate in key industries, including petrochemical, chemical, steel, non-ferrous metals, paper, textile and food
- Promote research and development of important technologies, equipment and processes
- Increase the use of advanced and practicable technologies, equipment and processes
- Achieve the water use efficiency standards in key industries, including petrochemical, chemical, textile and food
- Implement model programs for wastewater recycling
- Nurture companies dedicated to wastewater recycling
- Implement more advanced and sophisticated ways of wastewater recycling
Support measures
The plan includes cooperation among government departments, financial support, development of related policies such as tax preferences, etc. as measures to support its implementation.
The full text of the plan (in simplified Chinese) is available at
https://www.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/wjfb/tz/art/2021/art_ea497a991d0e46639a112aeb7e965fba.html.
