China Recycling Measures Target Wind, PV and EV Waste

China Accelerates Recycling Rules for New-Energy Equipment

According to multiple media reports on August 18, Wang Shancheng, Director-General of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection at China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said the country will accelerate work on China recycling measures for decommissioned wind-power and photovoltaic (PV) equipment. The remarks were made at an event marking 2026 National Ecology Day and indicate a stronger regulatory focus on recovering resources from renewable-energy infrastructure after it reaches the end of its service life.

Closed-Loop System Planned for the “New Three” Industries

The planned measures are part of a broader effort to build a closed-loop resource management system for the “new three” industries: electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. By 2030, China aims to establish comprehensive management covering the full recycling and utilization chain for solid waste generated by these industries. The approach is intended to strengthen collection, recycling and resource utilization while addressing the growing volume of equipment and materials expected to reach retirement as electrification and renewable-energy deployment expand.

Stricter Controls on NEV Battery Recycling

China will also tighten controls on the end-of-life treatment of new energy vehicles (NEVs). Authorities plan to strictly enforce the requirement that NEVs be scrapped with their batteries intact and crack down on illegal or non-compliant recycling and dismantling activities. The battery requirement is particularly significant because battery packs contain valuable materials as well as components that require controlled handling, making proper collection and dismantling important for both resource recovery and environmental management.

Circular Economy Upgrading and Recycling Technology

Beyond end-of-life vehicle and renewable-energy equipment management, the policy direction includes wider industrial upgrading across the circular economy. Authorities will support the development of national key laboratories focused on resource recycling and accelerate the modernization of dismantling capabilities for major recyclable-resource categories. These include end-of-life electromechanical equipment, vehicles, and electrical and electronic products, indicating that recycling policy is being positioned as part of a broader industrial and technology-development agenda.

Implications for New-Energy Supply Chains

The measures could have implications across the supply chains supporting China’s electric-vehicle, battery and renewable-energy industries. As recycling requirements become more comprehensive, manufacturers, dismantlers and resource-recovery companies may face greater expectations for compliant collection, battery handling, dismantling and material recovery. The policy direction also points toward a more formalized circular-economy framework in which end-of-life management is integrated into the wider lifecycle of new-energy products rather than treated as a separate disposal activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What recycling changes is China planning for new-energy equipment?
China plans to accelerate administrative measures covering the recycling and utilization of decommissioned wind-power and photovoltaic equipment while establishing broader closed-loop management for waste from electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. The country aims to have a comprehensive system in place by 2030, covering the recycling and utilization chain for solid waste generated by these industries. Authorities also intend to strengthen compliant dismantling, resource recovery and technological capabilities across several major recyclable-resource categories.

What new requirement applies to end-of-life new energy vehicles?
Authorities in China plan to strictly enforce the requirement that new energy vehicles be scrapped with their batteries intact and will take action against illegal or non-compliant recycling and dismantling operations. The measure is designed to improve control over battery handling and ensure that valuable materials and potentially sensitive components are processed through compliant recycling channels. It forms part of a wider effort to strengthen lifecycle management for electric vehicles and build a more structured circular-economy system around new-energy products.