China Targets 76% Waste Recycling by 2030

China has established an ambitious target to increase its urban household waste recycling utilization rate to over 76 percent by the close of 2030. This announcement coincides with the country's fourth national urban household waste sorting publicity week. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development confirmed its commitment to advancing waste sorting and reduction goals.

Progress in waste sorting has been substantial over the past decade, with pilot programs yielding significant results. Waste sorting now encompasses almost all residential communities in 297 prefecture-level cities and higher. Fifteen provinces, including Beijing, Zhejiang, and Shandong, have successfully eliminated the landfilling of raw household waste, implementing stringent emission controls.

As of the end of 2025, China operated 1,137 waste incineration facilities with a daily capacity of 1.18 million tonnes. These efforts support the nation's vision for high-quality urban development and the creation of a Beautiful China.