China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Unveils Key Players for National Plastic Recycling Tech Innovation Challenge

In a significant push for a circular economy, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has officially announced the shortlisted units for its major environmental technology and equipment innovation task. This initiative, launched in October 2025, aims to overcome key bottlenecks in the recycling sector. The announcement on January 16, 2026, specifically highlights two crucial tasks directly related to plastic waste: "Complete Technology and Equipment for Recycling and Reuse of Waste Textiles" and "Continuous Low-value Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Equipment." This move underscores the national strategic focus on plastic pollution control and resource circularity.

Task 1: Complete Technology and Equipment for Recycling and Reuse of Waste Textiles

This task targets critical challenges in China's waste textile industry, including labor-intensive sorting, low efficiency, high costs, and poor quality of recycled materials. The goal is to develop integrated solutions encompassing intelligent high-speed sorting of mixed fabrics and efficient chemical depolymerization for waste polyester textiles. The technology aims to produce dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) with a purity ≥99.9% and an annual output target of 50,000 tons by 2027.

Four leading institutions have been shortlisted to spearhead this effort:

1. Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2. China Resources Recycling Group Green Fiber Co., Ltd.
3. Weifulai (Zhejiang) Technology Co., Ltd. 
4. Zhejiang Jianxin Jiaren New Materials Co., Ltd. 

Task 2: Continuous Low-value Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Equipment

Addressing the difficulties in recycling low-value and mixed plastic waste through conventional methods, this task focuses on developing continuous catalytic pyrolysis technology. The goal is to transform complex plastic streams into high-value chemical feedstocks, achieving a true lifecycle loop for plastics. By 2027, the target is to develop equipment with a single-unit processing capacity ≥5,000 tons/year, achieving a chlorine removal rate ≥75% and a product recovery rate ≥85%.

Five entities are leading this initiative:

1. Beijing Lv'an Chuanghua Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. 
2. Zhongjing Xingtai (Chaoyang) Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. 
3. Jiangmen Chengxin Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. 
4. Changji Yangpu New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. 
5. Qingdao Huicheng Environmental Technology Group Co., Ltd. 

This national-level "unveiling the list" campaign represents a pivotal step in channeling top-tier industry and academic resources toward solving the most pressing technological hurdles in plastic recycling. It signals China's commitment to fostering innovation and establishing a robust, high-value circular economy for plastics, aligning with its broader sustainability and "Dual Carbon" goals.