China Circular Electronics and Material Value Chains

This Action aligns with the following Calls to Action from the Circular Economy Action Agenda for Electronics:

2. Enable Producers to Increase Sourcing of Recycled Content

4. Guide and Support New Business Models for Environmental, Financial, and Social Triple-Win

6. Set Up Effective Collection Systems

Project description

The project aims to support effective systems for the integration of recycled materials into electronic products and equipment along with other circular economy strategies. Through collaboration between multinational businesses, government and the domestic material recovery sector, work will seek to co-design pilot projects which test new regulatory approaches, technologies and partnerships.

Long term ambitions

Help the Chinese government reach its target or recycling 50% of e-waste by 2025 and sourcing 20% of materials for products from recycled sources.

Context

Major electronic companies have set targets to use secondary materials in new products and other strategies to accelerate the circular economy
China is leading electronics manufacturing & has high targets for circular economy in electronics
Only $160m of value is recovered of a potential $1.3 billion worth of materials
Limited understanding of secondary material market scale, potential and operations in China
Informal secondary material processing in China is dominant

Objectives

Create a platform for public-private collaboration between electronics companies and the Chinese government
Move towards piloting new strategies for circular economy in electronics
Undergo research to increase the base of knowledge on circular electronics in China

Partners

World Economic Forum, China Association of Circular Economy, China National Resources Recycling Association, Apple, Huawei, GEM, DELL Technologies, Philips Health. Xiaomi, Oppo, Aihuishou, Huishoubao, TES-AMM, JD, HPE, Huirong, TES-AMM (data center servers), GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, United Imaging (medical imaging equipment)