China’s war on pollution takes aim at solid waste recycling, illegal dumping

New mechanisms, preferential policies, including tax breaks, will encourage ‘comprehensive utilisation’ of waste, Beijing says

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China has outlined new measures to improve the way it recycles and disposes of solid waste, like bricks and concrete, and prevent illegal dumping, in a bid to tackle one of its major pollution problems. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:51pm, 25 May 2018Updated: 11:04pm, 25 May 2018

Beijing on Friday outlined new measures to improve the way it recycles and disposes of solid waste, like bricks and concrete, and prevent illegal dumping, in a bid to tackle one of the country’s biggest pollution problems.

New mechanisms and preferential policies, including tax exemptions, will encourage the “comprehensive utilisation” of waste, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a statement.

It will encourage firms to “standardise, make green and scale up” the complete recycling of products, including materials used in construction, such as cement, bricks and fire retardants, as well as mine slag and tailings, and porcelain.

Solid waste has emerged as one of China’s biggest environmental priorities as it tries to put an end to illegal dumping and rehabilitate land and water sources contaminated by hazardous chemicals or heavy metals.

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