Qinyang City is transforming its industrial landscape by turning waste materials into valuable resources, establishing a circular economy model that has become a regional benchmark. The city has adopted the principles of reduction, reuse, and recycling, creating a multi-layered system that strengthens enterprise-level micro-circulation, expands industrial meso-circulation, and perfects park-wide macro-circulation. This comprehensive approach has propelled Qinyang from a pilot zone to a leading demonstration area, earning recognition as a provincial-level circular economy industrial park in 2025.
Qinyang Economic and Technological Development Zone has ranked among the top ten second-tier provincial development zones for two consecutive years and was designated as a provincial demonstration zone for technology transfer and commercialization. The city's journey toward green development began with its industrial heritage, as it was once a standout performer among the "Eighteen Arhats" of Henan's county-level industrial powerhouses, with industrial output ranking in the province's top five.
The rapid industrial growth brought significant environmental challenges, prompting the city to make decisive changes and rebuild its competitive advantages. Under the "1351" strategic framework, Qinyang is focusing on modern chemicals and functional new materials, advanced metal materials, and optoelectronic information as its pillar industries, while developing five major circular economy chains encompassing end-of-life vehicle dismantling and parts remanufacturing, used battery recycling, recycled metals, chemical processing, and recycled paper production.
The end-of-life vehicle recycling chain leverages Qinyang Hongli Renewable Resources Co., Ltd.'s leadership in vehicle dismantling to develop a green automotive industrial park, advancing a project to expand annual dismantling capacity to 100,000 vehicles and supporting Henan Minchuang Technology Co., Ltd.'s initiative to remanufacture 30,000 automotive engines annually. The used battery recycling chain focuses on three critical pathways: recovery and processing of lead-acid batteries, cascade utilization of power batteries, and dismantling of spent lithium batteries, ensuring comprehensive collection and laying a solid foundation for resource recovery.
The recycled metals chain is anchored by Qinyang Hongda Steel, which collaborates with Hongfa Metals, Hongli Renewable Resources, and Hongtong Transportation to create a full-process industrial cluster covering scrap steel collection, sorting, transportation, and processing. The recycled aluminum chain, spearheaded by Xingfa Aluminum and Tiane Aluminum, establishes a three-tier collection network of community recovery points, regional sorting centers, and industrial park processing facilities, forming a complete closed-loop system from waste aluminum recovery to aluminum alloy and profile production.
The chemical industry chain, centered on Haohua Yuhang, strengthens the chlor-alkali production chain and aims to raise resource recycling rates above 90 percent, building a complete ecosystem from basic chemical raw materials to fine chemicals and end products. The recycled paper chain, led by Du Group, Hongtao Paper, Qiuyue Industrial, and Henan Yadu, develops a modern cluster integrating waste paper collection, paper production, packaging, and new material applications.
These five chains operate across four interconnected levels—enterprise, industry, park, and jurisdiction—creating a green manufacturing system. During a July 24 visit to Qinyang Hongda Steel, Henan's largest scrap steel recycling enterprise, the facility presented a striking contrast to traditional perceptions of the smelting industry, with clear skies above and lush lawns below. Company officials noted that by controlling increments, reducing existing capacity, and promoting circular utilization, they have transformed the conventional industry into a green operation with improved energy efficiency.
The steel cluster has enabled Hongli Renewable Resources to build a facility capable of dismantling 60,000 end-of-life vehicles annually with a recycling rate exceeding 95 percent, making it the province's largest such operation. Meanwhile, Hongfa Metals provides high-quality recycled metal materials to downstream customers with an existing capacity of 3.5 million tons. The battery recycling sector has similarly clustered around Henan Biaoxin Group, with Biaoxin Power, Zhengxiao New Energy, Libiao Filter Membranes, Zhengchi Plastics, and Henan Yongxu Renewable Resources collectively forming a lead-acid battery recycling chain. Henan Yongxu operates a complete closed-loop cycle from lead-acid batteries to recycled lead and back to new batteries, processing 600,000 tons annually.
The waste paper industry has relocated into parks to achieve internal circulation, with Du Group leading a cluster that now supports a 750,000-ton annual waste paper recovery and reuse capacity. Bulk solid waste utilization has also emerged as a green, efficient, and high-value industry. Haohua Yuhang Chemical has constructed a facility producing 120 million fly ash bricks annually from industrial residues, while Jiaozuo Hongdu Renewable Resources has utilized 150,000 tons of industrial solid waste over four years, generating 72.3 million yuan in annual output value from the ash and slag produced by the national power plant in the Qinyang economic zone.
Infrastructure support plays a crucial role in sustaining the circular economy. The Xiaolangdi North Bank Irrigation District Storage Reservoir project has secured water supplies for enterprises including Haohua Yuhang and Jinmei Tianqing, eliminating production cuts during dry months and enabling the national power company's Qinyang facility to become the only one of its seven power plants operating at full capacity. The "Four Waters Nourishing Qinyang" initiative represents a key component of comprehensive safeguards, alongside systematic improvements to local rivers and water quality, which has elevated water standards to Class IV.
The city has invested 6 billion yuan to establish a robust support system covering coal, electricity, gas, water, and transportation. Major heat sources include SPIC, Jinkong Tianqing, Wandu, and Liansheng Power. Natural gas supplies come from multiple pipelines including the West-East Gas Transmission lines, Shanxi coal-bed methane, and Henan Jinkong Tianqing Coal Chemical. Infrastructure upgrades are progressing through operating companies that coordinate with development banks and provincial water investment entities, while chemical park improvements include specialized fire stations, hazardous chemical parking, training bases, and smart platforms.
The comprehensive approach has yielded impressive results. Qinyang's resource output rate from urban mining—including scrap vehicles, steel, circuit boards, paper, batteries, and plastics—has reached 72 percent. The development zone has achieved an 85 percent comprehensive utilization rate for industrial solid waste, 95 percent for industrial water recycling and waste heat recovery, and 90 percent for reclaimed water use. Green industry output now accounts for approximately 80 percent of the park's total industrial value. The three pillar industries—modern chemicals and functional new materials, advanced metal materials, and optoelectronic information—have each advanced toward 10-billion-yuan clusters, while strategic emerging sectors like low-altitude economy are taking root. The city has been designated a provincial manufacturing transformation pilot county and leads Jiaozuo in green system development with two new national-level and two provincial-level green factories.