China is transforming its waste streams into a powerhouse circular economy by recycling spent electric vehicle batteries and solar cells, generating an astonishing $38.5 billion in annual trade.
This initiative, led by the newly formed China Resources Recycling Group, unites businesses with the expertise to recover lithium, cobalt, copper, gold, aluminum, and nickel from e-waste on a massive scale.
In fact, this market size already surpasses the U.S. solar recycling sector’s projected value for 2050.
After a decade of EV adoption, China faces a mountain of retired batteries—expected to hit 4 million tons in the coming years — and domestic manufacturers are racing to capture value rather than let toxic metals leach into the environment.
Zhejiang’s Tianli Technology now earns a quarter of its profits from battery recycling, while Henan Hairui Intelligent Technology dedicates 70% of its production capacity to building recycling machinery for batteries and panels.
“There is huge potential in the business of new-energy waste, because new energy is where China and the world are going,” said Ma Long, sales manager at Hairui. This human insight underscores how opportunity and sustainability are aligning in real time, turning yesterday’s high-tech leftovers into tomorrow’s raw materials.
To prevent the environmental disasters of past industrial booms, Beijing has standardized practices across 156 enrolled businesses, focusing on workplace safety and preventing metal contamination of soils and waterways. Each gram of recovered lithium and nickel not only protects ecosystems but also bolsters corporate bottom lines.
Meanwhile, China’s solar sector is equally prolific: a single desert array now hosts 3 million photovoltaic panels, and in 2024 the country added 277 GW of capacity — 15% of the global total — bringing the nation’s installed base to one-third of the world’s panels.
As panel retirements begin, analysts predict solar recycling will rapidly catch up to battery recycling, closing the loop on clean-energy production.
Why this matters: by treating waste as a resource, China is not only reducing environmental risk but also unlocking a multibillion-dollar industry that could redefine how the world handles its energy infrastructure at end-of-life.
This circular economy model offers a blueprint for sustainable growth and resource security globally.
To dive into all the details and explore the full range of insights, check out the complete article on Good News Network.
