RMB 8 Trillion Circular-Economy Dividends Unleashed: CTEF Chemical

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has issued the 《15th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development》(hereafter 《the Plan》). The Plan sets the target that by 2030, a circular-economy system covering the full chain of production, consumption, recycling and utilization will be further improved; major resource productivity will rise ~16% over 2025; annual comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste will reach ~4.5 billion tonnes; annual recycled resource circulation will reach 510 million tonnes; and the output value of the resource recycling industry will reach RMB 8 trillion.

The Plan signals that the circular economy has shifted from "scale expansion" to "high value addition + industrialization." Policy dividends no longer flow broadly to all recycling companies, but are directed at segments that can handle complex waste streams, produce high-value feedstock, and deliver scaled-up projects. For chemical environmental-protection technology and equipment makers, the real opportunity lies in niche tracks where policy direction and technical capacity align.

(Image source: National Development and Reform Commission)

The Plan defines key categories — the most instructive part — as it directly signals where funding, regulations and standards will tilt over the next five years:

Priority 1: Strengthen comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste

Targets:coal gangue, fly ash, tailings, construction waste, etc.

Direction:broaden disposal channels, scale up resource utilization, and unlock the "resource attribute" of solid waste.

Relevant chemical equipment: flotation machines, magnetic separators, leaching/extraction units, roasting rotary kilns, ball mills, MVR evaporation crystallization, DTRO membrane systems, filter presses, rotary-kiln incinerators, etc.

Priority 2: Unlock the potential of traditional "urban mining" resources

Targets: end-of-life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, scrap steel, non-ferrous scrap, waste plastics, and used textiles.

Direction: accelerate standardized collection and fine disassembly, and raise high-value utilization.

Relevant chemical equipment: continuous pyrolysis reactors, fractionation columns, condensation recovery systems, tail-gas incinerators, extraction tanks, electrolytic cells, acid-leaching reactors, crushers, eddy-current separators, etc.

Priority 3: Fill gaps in recycling "New Three" solid waste streams

Targets:spent power batteries, retired wind equipment, retired PV equipment.

Direction:improve end-of-life management, clarify disposal responsibility, and strengthen collection networks.

Relevant chemical equipment:crushing and sorting lines, leaching/extraction units, material regeneration calcination furnaces, pyrolysis recovery units, fiber extraction equipment, silicon-material purification units, etc.

Based on the policy targets and structural breakdown, the players best positioned to capture the largest share of the RMB 8 trillion circular-economy increment are those with barriers in key links:

1. Chemical environmental-protection equipment and technology suppliers — those able to deliver continuous, high-value, replicable processing equipment are the most direct beneficiaries of the "industrial upgrading" policy.

2. Scaled project operators — those able to deliver 10,000-tonne / 100,000-tonne-scale projects and prove economic viability fit the policy's profile of "cultivating backbone enterprises."

3. Segments extending into high-value feedstock— upgrading pyrolysis oil into SAF feedstock, or extracting strategic metals from tailings, is where the "high value-added" profit lies.

Policy sets the direction — but who should equipment makers connect with? Where can project owners find technology? The answer is CTEF 2027, China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Expo.

On June 3–5, 2027, the annual international chemical equipment conference — CTEF 2027 (China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Expo) — will open grandly at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, and the most influential annual event in the global chemical equipment sector, this edition spans 70,000 sqm, brings together 1,000+ benchmark enterprises from 20+ countries and regions including Germany, the UK, the US, South Korea and Japan, attracts professional buyers from 41 countries and regions, and organizes 88 overseas purchasing delegations — building a top-tier platform for Sino-foreign technology matchmaking, resource synergy and business cooperation.

For the chemical environmental-protection technology and equipment track, CTEF has prepared these dedicated matchmaking scenarios:

Direct Sourcing of Exhibits — Chemical Environmental-Protection Technology and Equipment, All in One Place

Exhibition scope covers: wastewater treatment equipment, membrane technology / membrane treatment, industrial waste-gas treatment equipment, industrial fume / dust collection, hazardous and solid waste disposal technology and equipment, sludge treatment technology and equipment — from wastewater and waste gas to solid and hazardous waste, and from end-of-pipe treatment to resource recovery — the full chain of equipment on show.

Past notable exhibitors include Chentai Environment, Qiangyuan Water Treatment, Risecon Electric, Fuyu Water Engineering, Haiyite, Yuchang Environment, Yijie Environment, Jingyuan Membrane, Tework, Daochuan Environmental, Rixin Daneng, Sennas, Jinsheng Wusen, Qingdao Shidai Xin Environment, Saike Kanglun, Shunfu Intelligent, Baowa Environmental Group, Xingerui, Heima Petrochemical, Dinghui Environmental, Zhihong Sibao, and Lanjin Environmental — presenting the full spectrum of advanced chemical environmental-protection technology and equipment.

Direct Access to Buyers — 100,000+ Domestic and International Professional Visitors

CTEF 2027's buyer base keeps growing and is projected to surpass 100,000 in 2027. 143 domestic purchasing delegations cover the full spectrum — government, industrial parks, research institutes, central SOEs, listed companies and foreign-invested enterprises — with 100+ top-100 chemical companies and 60+ industry associations arriving in groups. Leading chemical EPC contractors such as China Tianchen, Sinopec Engineering, and China National Chemical Engineering bring project procurement lists for concentrated matchmaking; production giants such as Wanhua Chemical, Transfar Zhilian, and Sinochem Lantian lead end-user procurement — covering the full chain from EPC to end users, and targeting hundred-million-yuan-level chemical environmental-protection support orders.

The show has built a database of hundreds of thousands of high-value domestic and overseas buyers across 20+ countries and regions. 85% of visitors hold purchasing decision-making authority, spanning basic chemical feedstocks, fine/specialty chemicals, agrochemicals and fertilizers, chemical engineering design, EPC contracting, petrochemicals, biochemicals, pharma chemicals, chemical park / industrial zone management committees, and environmental engineering service providers — the entire supply chain.

Concurrent Forums — Policy + Technology + Orders, Face to Face

Alongside the show, over ten major technical events will be held, including the China International Chemical Equipment Innovation and Development Conference, the China Heat-Pump Distillation and Energy-Saving Optimization Technology Forum, the China Electronic Chemicals Technology and Equipment Innovation and Application Forum, the Chemical Material Handling and Conveying Technology Innovation Forum, the China Smart Chemical and Digital Transformation Conference, and the China Chemical Liquid-Cooling Materials and Dedicated Equipment Technology Innovation Forum. Focusing on core chemical energy-saving processes, green chemistry frontier technologies, and smart manufacturing deployment paths, the events gather officials from national ministries, CAS / CAE academicians, leading university experts, authoritative industry association leaders, and representatives from international chemical majors and domestic backbone equipment enterprises. Through three core formats — policy direction interpretation, hard-core technical discussion, and benchmark case sharing — they address industry pain points and deliver actionable, systematic solutions for high-quality development.

International Buyers — On-Site Matchmaking with Delegations from 40+ Countries

CTEF 2027 continues to deepen its global footprint, focusing on Belt and Road partner countries and covering core global chemical markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia and South America. The show coordinates with official trade-promotion bodies, industry associations, industry leaders and local professional exhibition platforms worldwide to build a global chemical supply-chain matchmaking network. Multiple international procurement-matching sessions will run alongside, including domestic procurement sessions and dedicated sessions for Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Russia, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and other markets, pre-inviting professional buyers worldwide and precisely connecting overseas distributors, traders, EPC contractors and end-user chemical enterprises — helping exhibitors go global efficiently and quickly convert exhibits into orders.

There is a time lag between policy issuance and local implementing rules, project lists, and funding landing. Companies with existing orders, demonstration projects, and overseas market positioning can convert policy dividends into orders and revenue earlier.

June 3–5, 2027, Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

CTEF — China International Chemical Technology & Equipment Expo — awaits you to connect with business opportunities.

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