Low value recyclable materials are a concept that is opposite to high-value waste such as scrapped cars and household appliances. They mainly refer to various types of waste generated in production and daily life that have certain recycling value and can be recycled and utilized through certain technical and economic means, achieving certain economic benefits.

The report shows that in 2021, China generated a total of 50.21 million tons of waste low value plastic packaging, 22.75 million tons of waste glass, 21.24 million tons of waste textiles, 1.32 million tons of agricultural plastic film, 640000 tons of beverage paper-based composite packaging, 125600 tons of fertilizer packaging and pesticide packaging, and 117000 tons. Except for the recycling rate of waste agricultural plastic film reaching 60.6%, the recycling rates of pesticide packaging waste, beverage paper-based composite packaging, daily waste glass, waste textiles, and low value plastic packaging are 58.6%, 33.1%, 27.1%, 21%, and 19.5%, respectively, indicating a low overall recycling rate.

"With the continuous increase in human resource costs, transportation costs, and other factors, the recycling and utilization of certain recyclable materials has become unprofitable, becoming recyclable materials with low or even no economic value," said Zhang Deyuan, Director of the Circular Economy Research Office of the Economic System and Management Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The report shows that currently only 18 cities in China have issued the "Catalogue of Low Value Recyclable Materials" or specialized management measures, and provide appropriate subsidies for the recycling of low value recyclable materials. Zhang Deyuan believes that low value recyclable materials are mainly located in the "three disregards" area where local governments do not attach importance to them, enterprises have low recycling enthusiasm, and the people's awareness of classification is indifferent. The existing recycling and utilization enterprises are small in scale, technologically backward, and basically in an awkward situation of difficult living, leading to a generally low recycling and utilization rate of low value recyclable materials.