On January 13, 2026, the State Council Information Office (SCIO) of the People’s Republic of China held a regular policy briefing to explain the Action Plan for Comprehensive Treatment of Solid Waste (固体废物综合治理行动计划). The briefing
outlined China’s approach to addressing challenges across agricultural, industrial, construction, and municipal waste streams, while reinforcing the role of circular economy principles.
Senior officials from multiple ministries used the briefing to clarify policy objectives, implementation mechanisms, and enforcement priorities. The event formed part of the government’s broader effort to enhance transparency and policy coherence in areas with significant implications for environmental protection, industrial operations, and long-term economic
development.
Executive Summary
- The State Council Information Office hosted a regular policy briefing on January 13, 2026, to introduce the Action Plan for Comprehensive Treatment of Solid Waste, coordinated by the State Council and involving multiple ministries.
- The briefing emphasized a comprehensive, whole-chain approach to solid waste
governance grounded in circular economy principles. - Officials outlined system-wide measures covering source control, recycling
incentives, illegal dumping prevention, and regulatory enforcement. - Key ministries, including the National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), detailed their
respective responsibilities. - The policy aims to improve resource efficiency, environmental risk control,
and industrial circularity, with targets extending to 2030. - For businesses, the policy signals higher compliance standards, expanding
opportunities in recycling and waste-to-value services, and stricter enforcement.
The State Council Briefing
The SCIO briefing on January 13, 2026, served as the government’s primary platform to explain the content and implementation of the Action Plan. Officials from the NDRC, MEE, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs participated, outlining policy priorities and responding to media questions.
The Action Plan was formulated in line with directives from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, positioning solid waste governance as a core component of China’s broader green transformation strategy, which seeks to balance environmental protection with resource efficiency and industrial sustainability.
Comprehensive Governance Approach
The NDRC emphasized that effective solid waste governance is integral to China’s ecological modernization. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have increased waste generation across multiple sectors, requiring a whole-chain management framework that integrates prevention, reduction, utilization, and safe disposal.
Structurally, the Action Plan is organized around overall requirements, key tasks, and supporting enforcement measures. It sets out China’s governance objectives through 2030, including targets for recycling capacity expansion, higher reuse rates, and tighter control of illegal disposal.
Agricultural Waste Priorities
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs highlighted agricultural waste, such as crop residues and livestock manure, as both an environmental challenge and a resource opportunity. Large volumes, dispersed production, and seasonal fluctuations have historically limited recycling and reuse due to high logistics costs and weak commercial incentives.
Under the Action Plan, agricultural waste policies focus on residue utilization, including straw incorporation and manure processing, while promoting circular agriculture models that integrate crop farming and livestock production. These approaches are designed to improve efficiency, reduce input costs, and support rural sustainability.
By shifting policy emphasis from disposal to utilization, the framework reinforces the role of agricultural waste as a productive input within the circular economy.
Industrial Solid Waste
The briefing addressed industrial solid waste such as coal gangue, fly ash, and smelting residues. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology acknowledged progress in reuse but stressed the need for further gains through green product design, cleaner production processes, and upstream waste reduction.
The policy’s guiding principle, reducing waste intensity while increasing comprehensive utilization, aims to curb waste generation at the source and expand industrial reuse pathways. This approach aligns with national objectives to enhance material efficiency and promote sustainable manufacturing.
Construction Waste
Construction waste remains a structural challenge driven by urban expansion and infrastructure investment. The Action Plan strengthens governance through improved legal frameworks, standardized end-to-end management systems, and greater use of digital and logistics technologies to enhance transport, sorting, and recycling. These measures are intended to reduce illegal dumping and improve traceability, providing clearer compliance expectations for construction firms and waste processors.
Tackling Illegal Disposal
Illegal dumping continues to be a priority enforcement area. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) highlighted an ongoing three-year nationwide enforcement campaign, launched in mid-2025, targeting illegal disposal of industrial and construction waste.
The campaign leverages technologies such as satellite imagery and drone monitoring to improve detection and enforcement coverage. Authorities emphasized strengthening enforcement across the entire waste management chain and improving coordination between administrative and judicial mechanisms to deter serious violations. These efforts signal a move toward more stringent and consistent regulatory enforcement.
Circular Economy and Resource Utilization
Circular economic principles featured prominently throughout the briefing. Officials framed solid waste as a resource base, rather than solely an environmental burden, highlighting initiatives to recover valuable materials, expand reuse of metals and plastics, and develop secondary resource markets.
Policy measures include support for recycling infrastructure, adoption of advanced processing technologies, and regulatory reforms to accelerate circular material flows. Together, these initiatives mark a transition from end-of-pipe waste treatment toward integrated resource optimization.
Interagency Coordination
Effective implementation of the Action Plan depends on coordination across ministries, local governments, and market actors. Officials emphasized clear responsibility allocation and performance assessment mechanisms as essential to policy execution.
The Action Plan introduces monitoring and evaluation requirements for local governments, supported by standardized data collection, reporting systems, and performance indicators. These mechanisms are intended to ensure accountability and track progress in waste reduction, recycling capacity expansion, and environmental outcomes.
What This Means for Business
- Higher Compliance Expectations: Expanded whole-chain governance and stricter
enforcement will increase regulatory scrutiny across manufacturing,
construction, and agricultural sectors. - Growth Opportunities: Demand is likely to rise for recycling technologies,
waste-to-value solutions, and integrated environmental services. - Innovation Demand: Advanced monitoring, automation, and material recovery
technologies will play a growing role in compliance and efficiency. - Infrastructure Investment: Policy support may accelerate investment in recycling
facilities, specialized logistics, and smart waste management systems. - Stronger Secondary Markets: The reframing of waste as a resource supports the development of recycled material markets, potentially lowering input costs
and reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Sources
- Full
Transcript of the State Council Regular Policy Briefing (January 13, 2026)
— State Council Information Office, People’s Republic of China,
January 13, 2026.
https://www.mee.gov.cn/ywdt/xwfb/202601/t20260113_1140614.shtml
- Coverage
of the January 13 briefing and Action Plan release. (cls.cn)