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China: Latest policy measures to tackle cooling equipment end-of-life recycling and disposal

In 2024, China has implemented several measures to reduce emissions from HFC and HCFC refrigerant recycling and recovery through cooling equipment end-of-life recycling and disposal.

China is the world’s leading producer of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), namely accounting for about 70% of the global HFC production [1, 2]. As a signatory of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the country has a key role to play in ensuring the success of the global efforts to reduce HFC-related emissions.

 

Researchers found that 79% of refrigerant emissions in China arose from air conditioners (ACs) disposal, which amounted to 85 Mt CO2-eq in 2019 [3]. Furthermore, only around 40% of waste TV sets, refrigerators, washing machines, ACs, and microcomputers were properly recycled and disposed of from 2012 to 2020, according to official data from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment [4].

 

From January through July 2024, China implemented several measures to support end-of-life recycling and disposal processes for household appliances and consumer goods, which include cooling equipment.

 

For instance,

  • On 23 January 2024, the China Ministry of Commerce, together with eight other national ministries and agencies, issued policy guidelines to promote the recycling of household appliances with the target of increasing the recycling rate of household appliances by 15% by 2025 from the 2023 levels.
  • On 13 March 2024, China’s State Council issued an action plan to promote the large-scale replacement of equipment and consumer goods. This action plan sets the targets of doubling the rate of vehicle recycling and increasing the recycling rate of household appliances by 30% by 2027 from 2023 levels.
  • On 24 July 2024, the China National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance announced around 300 billion RMB (13.77 billion USD) of long-term debt funding to support the implementation of the March 13 action plan mentioned above. Among other things, this funding will be used to subsidise individual consumers in purchasing energy-efficient household appliances (including refrigerators and air conditioners) for 15% of the product sales price for appliances with level 2 energy efficiency; and for an additional 5% of the product sales price for appliances with level 1 energy efficiency (subsidy per product is up to 2,000 RMB (275.5 USD)).

 

For more information, please visit the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development website.

 

 

Did you know? China submitted its ratification document for the Kigali Amendment on 17 June 2021, which went into effect in China on 15 September 2021.
Click here to view the list of countries that have accepted, approved or ratified the Kigali Amendment.

 

 

Sources

[1] Liuhanzi Yang et al, Measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from motor air conditioning in China (Working Paper 2022–03), International Council on Clean Transportation (February 2022) at p.10. https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/lv-china-measures-reducing-GHGs-motor-AC-China.pdf

[2] Booten C et al. Refrigerants: Market Trends and Supply Chain Assessment, February 2020.  https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/articles/refrigerants-market-trends-and-supply-chain-assessment-february-2020

[3] Hu, Shan, et al. "Emissions of F-gases from room air conditioners in China and scenarios to 2060." Energy and Buildings 299 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113561

[4] https://www.igsd.org/china-policy-developments-provide-opportunities-to-tackle-lifecycle-refrigerant-management-in-the-cooling-equipment-end-of-life-recycling-and-disposal-processes/