China will speed up the construction of "urban minerals"

On December 3rd, insights were shared at the inaugural "Urban Mining" Expo. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China anticipates achieving energy savings of approximately 1.155 billion tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 720 million tons through the advancement of "urban mining." In recent years, China has established 29 national-level demonstration bases for "urban mining." Over the course of the 12th Five-Year Plan, the country plans to construct 100 comprehensive resource utilization demonstration bases and another 50 dedicated to "urban mining." According to a senior official from the China Recycling Resources Association, China has now entered the peak period of e-waste and automobile scrappage. The number of discarded products is increasing annually. It's projected that over the coming years, at least 15 million home appliances and tens of millions of mobile phones will enter their end-of-life phase each year. By 2020, the annual volume of discarded electronics could reach as high as 137 million units, while the annual number of scrapped cars may hit between 4 million to 6 million. By then, the total number of vehicles in circulation is expected to surpass 14 million. These urban wastes contain abundant recyclable resources, whose value rivals that of primary mineral resources and are thus referred to as "urban mines." In some developed nations, the recycling of "urban mineral resources" has grown into a key industry, playing an increasingly important role in environmental protection, resource conservation, and sustainable development. Data from the China Recycling Resources Association shows that during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, the total amount of "urban mineral resources" utilized in China reached 630 million tons. For every 10,000 tons of recyclable resources recovered, approximately 41,200 tons of natural resources are saved, and waste generation is reduced by between 60,000 to 100,000 tons. As China continues to grow economically, the need for sustainable practices becomes ever more pressing. The development of "urban mining" represents a crucial step toward achieving this goal. By transforming waste into wealth, these efforts not only help conserve natural resources but also contribute to cleaner air, water, and soil, making urban living healthier for all.