As the world’s second-largest economy and leading manufacturer, China has positioned the circular economy at the heart of its national development strategy. With a powerful mix of top-down policy, industrial transformation, and local experimentation, China is scaling circular practices faster and broader than most countries.
Key signs of circular maturity in China:
- Integration of circular economy in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) and national green development strategies
- Expansion of eco-industrial parks and “urban mining” systems to recover rare and valuable materials
- Development of zero-waste pilot cities across more than 100 municipalities
- Rapid growth of green technology and digital solutions for circular supply chains and resource tracking
- Strengthened extended producer responsibility (EPR) for electronics, vehicles, and packaging
- Circular principles embedded in urban planning, e-commerce, and energy sectors
China’s approach is systemic and policy-driven, combining strong government direction with technological innovation and public-private collaboration.
At CEI, we support large-scale transitions like China’s through:
National and sectoral circular diagnostics
Circular KPI frameworks and benchmarking
Public-private policy design and impact analysis
Smart city integration and innovation advisory
Can China’s circular transformation inspire scalable models for fast-growing economies?
The model is evolving—and the world is watching.