An aerial drone photo shows a circular economy industrial park of the Tianjin Ziya Economic and Technological Development Area in Tianjin, North China, Oct 23, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

　　RESOURCE RECYCLING INDUSTRY SYSTEM

　　Historical records show that recycled paper first emerged during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in China. Waste paper pulp was repurposed into new paper, a process detailed in the Chinese scientific classic “The Exploitation of Nature's Works“ (“Tian Gong Kai Wu“) from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

　　More than 30 years ago in Tianjin, residents along the Ziya River began a “gold panning“ business, going door to door to collect waste wires and discarded home appliances, which they dismantled in small family-run workshops.

　　However, nearly all of these workshops burned the waste to extract metal, releasing noxious gases that severely damaged the environment.

　　In 2003, the predecessor of the Tianjin Ziya Economic and Technological Development Area, the Tianjin Ziya Environmental Protection Industrial Park, was established, becoming one of the earliest and largest circular economy-focused industrial parks in northern China.

　　Today, the area features neatly built factory buildings, surrounded by lush greenery. Automated production lines enable precise and efficient dismantling, with factories operating almost entirely dust-free.

　　Tianjin Xinneng Renewable Resources Co., Ltd., located in this area, is capable of recycling and dismantling over 100 scrapped cars each day.