China is shifting to a "non-waste" system, aiming for holistic lifecycle management of plastics. New national targets for 2030 include raising recycled plastic production to 19.5 million tons and increasing the use of recycled materials in cars, electronics, and packaging. https://www.plasticsnews.com/public-policy/sp-china-action-plan-recycled-plastics-2030/
There's also a new green consumption drive http://www.china.org.cn/2026-01/07/content_118266914.shtml
and a major push to shift to high value, closed loop recycling (you'd need to run the link through a translator) https://www.mj.org.cn/mjfc/mtjj/202603/t20260326_305587.htm
Another interesting development is an effort to achieve sustainable reuse polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic in bottles, packaging, and textiles https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/break-down-plastic-waste-recycling-chemical-process-china/
and to transform toxic industrial waste gas into hydrogen fuel https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0109/c90000-20412332.html