Resource recycling is playing a vital role in China's carbon neutrality solutions. LI XIN/FOR CHINA DAILY

Every year, 400 million metric tons of heavy metal, toxic sludge and industrial waste are dumped into our waterways. At least 8 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans. Some 1.3 billion tons of food-about one-third of all that is produced-is lost or wasted, while hundreds of millions of people go hungry.

每年，都有4亿吨重金属、有毒污泥和工业废料被倾倒进水道；至少800万吨塑料排入我们的海洋；约13亿吨粮食——约占全球总产量的三分之一——被损失或浪费，而与此同时，尚有数亿人食不果腹。

The unsustainability of our linear "take-make-waste" pattern of global production and consumption has never been more obvious. In fact, if we do not abandon it by 2050, we will need the equivalent of almost three Earths to provide enough natural resources to sustain current lifestyles. But there is a better way: We can embrace the circular economy.

全球在生产和消费上这种“取用-制造-浪费”的线性模式，其不可持续性从未像现在这般明显。事实上，如果我们不放弃这种模式，那么，到2050年将需要差不多三个地球才能提供足够的自然资源维持目前的生活方式。但人类还有一个更好的出路：拥抱循环经济。

China has taken important steps in this direction. In August 2008, it became one of the first countries to pass a law aimed at promoting the circular economy.

中国已朝这一方向迈出重要步伐，2008年8月，成为首批通过循环经济促进法的国家之一。

China unveiled a plan to promote circular economy for the next five years on July 7, aiming to basically establish a resources recycling system in the country by 2025 as part of efforts to achieve carbon peak and neutrality goals.

为推动实现碳达峰、碳中和，今年7月7日，中国发布《“十四五”循环经济发展规划》。《规划》提到，预计到 2025年，资源循环型产业体系基本建立。

A community of life for man and nature   人与自然生命共同体（请戳往期链接）

carbon trading market  碳排放权交易市场/碳交易市场 （请戳往期链接）

carbon footprint  碳足迹

carbon neutrality  碳中和 （请戳往期链接）

carbon finance  碳金融  （请戳往期链接）

green development  绿色发展 （请戳往期链接）

low-carbon development  低碳发展 （请戳往期链接）

ecological civilization  生态文明 （请戳往期链接）

ecosystem restoration  生态系统恢复 （请戳往期链接） 

global climate governance  全球气候治理  （请戳往期链接）

biodiversity  生物多样性 （请戳往期链接）

Collected and edited by Lv Yun

Source: China Daily

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