China aims to create easy recycling for household appliances

China will build a group of cities nationwide into typical cities for the recycling of resources such as waste household appliances and furniture by 2025, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

By 2025, the national recycling volume of waste household appliances and furniture is expected to increase by more than 15 percent compared with 2023, according to a notice recently released by the Ministry of Commerce and nine other departments on improving the recycling system of renewable resources such as waste household appliances and furniture.

By 2025, the country will cultivate a batch of leading recycling enterprises, promote a group of recycling models with typical experiences, and form a series of regulations and standards, the statement said.

"The home appliance market in China has entered an era with both increment and stock," He Yadong, a spokesman for the ministry, said at a news conference on Thursday in Beijing.

"A sound recycling system for renewable resources, such as waste household appliances and furniture, plays an important role in helping to improve the convenience of exchanging the old products for new ones, and facilitating the consumption cycle," He said.

In 2023, the total number of major categories of household appliances in China exceeded 3 billion units, with every 100 households owning over 100 units of air conditioners, refrigerators and televisions. For some families, their household appliances have been used for a long time, and there exists a significant demand and potential for updates and replacements, the ministry said.

zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn