China Demands Automotive Industry Use Recycled Materials, Batteries as Main Focus

Photo: The process of making electric vehicle batteries. (Photo: Electrive)

JAKARTA - China's economic and industrial authorities have released a cross-ministerial policy plan to expand the use of recycled materials in the manufacturing sector. The automotive industry is designated as one of the priority sectors, as the government seeks to accelerate the transition to a more circular and sustainable production system.

In the Action Plan for the Promotion of Waste Material Applications, the regulator targets an increase in the use of recycled materials in various strategic industries, including automotive, electronics, batteries, textiles, and packaging.

This policy emphasizes strengthening supply, increasing application standards, and expanding the scale of the use of recycled materials so that they can be widely adopted by industry. As reported by Carnewschina, Thursday, January 1.

Specifically in the automotive sector, the government encourages vehicle manufacturers to use more recycled materials as long as they meet technical and regulatory requirements. The materials in question include steel, aluminum, plastic, and other secondary materials that can be applied to vehicle bodies, structural components, interiors, to non-critical systems.

This plan also emphasizes the importance of closer coordination between car manufacturers, dismantling companies, recycling actors, and material processors to form an integrated supply chain.

The efficiency of recycling end-of-life vehicles is also in the spotlight. Authorities are targeting increased standardized dismantling, higher material recovery rates, and improved processing capabilities for automotive metals and plastics from recycling.

This step is expected to ensure a stable supply of raw materials for manufacturers while reducing dependence on primary materials. Battery production is another priority focus.

With the rapid growth of electric vehicles, the government is encouraging the increased use of recycled materials in the manufacture of batteries as well as strengthening the recycling system for used batteries. Batteries are seen as a source of valuable materials that can be returned to the production cycle.

In addition to the target for use, this action plan also includes the preparation of standards, certification systems, and mechanisms for traceability of recycled materials gradually. This framework is intended to ensure consistency, safety, and quality of materials when used in the vehicle manufacturing process.

In the long term, this policy targets the formation of a more comprehensive national recycling system and increased industry acceptance of recycled materials as standard production inputs. For the automotive industry, this step opens the way for deeper integration of circular production practices, from vehicle design, manufacturing processes, to end-of-life management.