Green consumption, rental options embraced by youth

Fueled by the strategic blueprint of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) and a comprehensive policy push from nine government departments, the rising tide of green consumption in China — spanning energy-efficient appliances, sustainable tourism and circular recycling models — is emerging as a pivotal engine for high-quality economic development and low-carbon societal transformation.

In a significant move to accelerate this trend, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments recently issued a circular outlining 20 specific measures across seven areas. The directive covers the entire life cycle of consumption — from production and circulation to recycling and reuse — addressing daily necessities like food, clothing, housing and transportation.

"Against the current backdrop, accelerating the comprehensive green transition of the economy and society is crucial, especially in the process of boosting consumption," said Guo Liyan, deputy director of the Economic Research Institute at the National Development and Reform Commission. Guo said that stimulating green consumption can accelerate the supply-demand cycle and drive the green transformation of industries.

The policy's impact is already visible in regional data, particularly in the "trade-in" sector for home appliances. Latest statistics from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce reveal that as of Feb 18, the province had received 1.124 million applications for home appliance trade-ins, driving consumption of 4.344 billion yuan ($600 million).

Furthermore, applications for digital and intelligent products reached 1.618 million, generating another 4.878 billion yuan in consumption. This surge indicates that the trade-in policy is not only offering tangible benefits to citizens, but also fueling a consumption upgrade toward greener, low-carbon options.

This momentum extended well into the Spring Festival holiday, reaching even county-level markets. In Gangu county, Tianshui, Gansu province, the local commerce bureau launched a "Trade-in for Benefit" campaign coupled with a no-threshold invoice lottery, covering appliances, automobiles and retail sectors from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival.

At local appliance centers, residents flocked to upgrade old refrigerators and televisions. "Sales of various appliances are very good, especially essential items like TVs and washing machines," said Xie Xiaomei, a salesperson at the Haowangjiao home appliance sales center in Gangu. "Overall sales have increased by 38 percent compared to the same period last year."

While tangible goods are being upgraded, the services sector is also undergoing a green makeover. As the Spring Festival approached, tourists in Hainan province noticed changes: hotels providing drinking water in glass bottles instead of plastic ones, and replacing single-use toiletries with large-sized dispensers. In restaurants, "half-portion" and "small-portion" menu options are gaining popularity.

However, challenges remain as some merchants hesitate to upgrade green services due to concerns over costs and customer experience. Yi Shaohua, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggested that industry associations should issue initiatives to support businesses, adding that building consumer trust in the hygiene and authenticity of green services is key.

Consumer trends are also guiding upstream industrial upgrades. In Chizhou, Anhui province, the "bamboo replacing plastic" initiative has turned local ecologically friendly practices into economic opportunity. Despite the winter chill, villagers are busy harvesting bamboo, which undergoes 18 precise procedures to become drinking straws and tableware exported to over 100 countries.

Led by key enterprises, Chizhou now hosts 89 bamboo processing companies with an annual processing capacity of 900,000 metric tons. The output value of the city's bamboo sector exceeded 4 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 33 percent.

Beyond manufacturing, Chizhou is exploring a deeper integration of ecology and economy by turning bamboo forests into scenic spots. The city has developed three major bamboo forest sightseeing routes, including Pingtian Lake and Jiuhua Mountain. These routes now attract 3 million visits annually, generating tourism revenue exceeding 100 million yuan.

"We are effectively promoting the conversion of ecological resources into economic value, truly realizing the goal where 'one bamboo enriches the people of one area'," said Hu Min, deputy director of the Chizhou Forestry Bureau, adding that the comprehensive output value is expected to reach 10 billion yuan by 2027.

However, a complete green consumption loop requires effective recycling. At Intco Recycling in Zibo, Shandong province, waste styrofoam is transformed into decorative frames, helping the company achieve an output value of approximately 2.6 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2025.

Yet, the industry faces bottlenecks. Domestic waste plastic collection volume is often disorganized and handled by scattered workshops, leading to irregular operations and chaotic sorting that cannot meet the needs of large-scale industrial production. Consequently, companies are often forced to import raw materials from thousands of overseas recycling points.

To address this structural pain point, the government circular proposes a three-tier recycling system — collection points, transfer stations and regional sorting centers — and encourages financial institutions to support recycling projects. This systematic approach aims to replace the fragmented, informal recycling network with a standardized, industrial-grade supply chain, ensuring that domestic waste can be efficiently turned into valuable resources.