China is pushing automakers to recycle batteries, circular economy for minerals and plastics

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1. # Summary: China is pushing automakers to recycle batteries, circular economy for minerals and plastics

   China’s economic and industrial authorities have introduced a comprehensive policy to expand recycled materials use across manufacturing, with automotive identified as a priority sector. The Recycled Materials Application Promotion Action Plan targets increased adoption of recycled steel, aluminum, and plastics in vehicle production—covering bodies, structural components, interiors, and non-critical systems.

   Battery recycling features prominently, driven by rapid EV expansion. The policy mandates stronger recycling systems for spent batteries and greater use of recovered materials in new battery manufacturing. With China’s battery recycling market already valued at $78 billion and projected to exceed $280 billion by 2030, regulators view batteries as a strategic resource stream for circular production.

   The plan emphasizes integrated supply chains linking automakers with dismantling facilities, recycling processors, and materials suppliers. Authorities aim to standardize vehicle dismantling, improve material recovery rates, and establish quality certification and traceability systems for recycled inputs. These frameworks address reliability concerns that have historically limited recycled material adoption in manufacturing.

   The policy represents a systematic regulatory effort to embed circular economy principles throughout the automotive lifecycle—from design through end-of-life processing. Implementation will require coordination across manufacturers, suppliers, and recycling enterprises, reducing dependence on primary raw materials while creating stable secondary supply chains for China’s automotive industry.

2. that will skyrocket costs, it’ll never happen

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