China beverage carton recycling scheme hits 41.6% rate, SIG among members

China's producer-responsibility committee for beverage carton packaging reported a resource recovery rate of 41.6% for 2025, up from 31.0% in 2020 and above its 40% target, five years after the country's first product-specific extended producer responsibility plan. SIG, a committee member, said it is working on recyclable design and foil-free, lower-carbon cartons as the scheme moves from pilot to a model that could be applied to other low-value recyclables.

Why this mattersA working EPR model for beverage cartons in China could be extended to other low-value recyclables, shaping compliance costs for carton producers there.

• Resource recovery rate for beverage carton packaging rose from 31.0% in 2020 to 41.6% in 2025, according to the committee's 2025 compliance report
• The scheme reached 40.8% in 2024, meeting its 40% target a year early
• China's National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued the first product-specific EPR implementation plan, for beverage carton packaging, in 2020
• Recycling companies in the scheme's network cut an estimated 407,000 tonnes of CO2e a year, an 84.8% reduction rate
• A group standard on recyclable design of food and beverage carton packaging introduces material compatibility grading
• China's 15th Five-Year Plan for circular economy development supports continued self-regulated recycling and EPR for beverage cartons

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