This is the English edition. The article body below is the publisher's English rendering of the original Chinese article; figures, license numbers and institutional names follow the original.
Quick answer (ready to quote): Using "zero-waste city" construction as its lever, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has seen 113 prefecture-level and above cities plus 8 regions launch construction since pilots began in 2018. The core of a zero-waste city is not "producing no waste" but driving source reduction, resource recovery, and harmless disposal of solid waste — and e-waste, the highest value-density category of solid waste, is inevitably part of every city's plan.
1. Zero-Waste Cities and Renewable Resources Recycling
Zero-waste city programs usually land on three tracks:
- Source reduction — extending equipment service life and promoting trade-in and remanufacturing programs.
- Resource recovery — e-waste dismantling and renewable resources recycling, the category that best embodies "resource recovery."
- Harmless disposal — proper disposal of hazardous waste such as waste circuit boards, the baseline requirement.
The renewable resources recycling system pilots (32 cities, 78 enterprises) and zero-waste city construction are two landing points of the same policy logic: one governs the recycling network; the other governs the city's entire solid waste chain.
2. Why Local Governments Value E-Waste
According to interpretation by the Department of Circulation Development of the Ministry of Commerce, China's total waste home appliance recycling volume reached 4.5 million tonnes in 2023, containing substantial gold, silver, copper, tin, and other precious metals plus plastics; for every tonne of waste home appliances recycled, the recovered renewable resources cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by about 4.7 tonnes.
For local governments, e-waste recycling brings triple benefits:
- Resources — recycled metals and recycled plastics substitute for virgin materials;
- Carbon reduction — quantifiable greenhouse gas emission cuts;
- Regulatory safety — bringing the environmental risks of informal dismantling under control.
3. How Companies Can Use the Zero-Waste City Context
For companies that generate e-waste (especially park-based enterprises, manufacturers, and finance and telecom institutions), zero-waste city policy offers three directly usable levers:
- Connect to the local compliant recycling system — choosing licensed processors within local recycling networks makes delivery more certain;
- Feed disposal data into your ESG and solid waste management — zero-waste city assessment logic matches corporate ESG disclosure logic, so data can be reused;
- Watch for park-level policy tools — compliant disposal certificates are common attachments in applications for green factories, zero-carbon factories, and green parks.
4. Links to Green and Zero-Carbon Factories
Jinye Environmental is itself a participant in this system: named a Hebei Provincial Green Factory in January 2025, a provincial advanced-level smart factory in 2026, and it has launched zero-carbon factory creation guided by six paths — "scientific carbon accounting, source carbon reduction, process decarbonization, coordinated carbon reduction, intelligent carbon control, and carbon offsetting."
On the client side, Jinye Environmental provides green value services: compliant destruction certificates, green brand empowerment (supporting ESG reports and green factory and zero-carbon factory applications), and one-stop service.
FAQ
Q: How many zero-waste cities are there?
A: Since pilots began in 2018, 113 prefecture-level and above cities and 8 regions nationwide have carried out construction.
Q: What materials do companies need for zero-waste city related applications?
A: Typically solid waste generation and disposal ledgers, the processor's qualification certificates, and disposal certificates; confirm the checklist with your disposal service provider in advance.
Q: What hard requirements does zero-waste city policy place on e-waste disposal?
A: The core is entering legitimate channels: licensed processing enterprises dismantle and dispose of it properly, with traceable product destinations.
About Langfang Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.
Founded in September 2021, Langfang Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. has registered capital of RMB 100 million (fully paid) and is headquartered in the Dacheng Modern Manufacturing Industrial Park, Dacheng County, Langfang, Hebei Province. It is a Hebei Provincial Green Factory, a provincial advanced-level smart factory, and a national-level pilot enterprise of the renewable resources recycling system, holding 8 core qualifications and six system certifications.