TIANJIN — Data security has always been a challenge during electronic waste processing and recycling in China, but the issue is being addressed through a new initiative.

China Resources Recycling Group, a centrally administered State-owned enterprise, recently announced the nationwide expansion of its secure mobile phone recycling and disposal demonstration program to provincial capitals.

This marks the launch of a nationwide network for confidential electronic carrier disposal, integrating recycling, disassembly and smelting into a unified system, according to the company.

As a national leader in the circular economy, the company has focused on constructing a secure electronic waste disposal system since its establishment in October last year.

Industry data estimates that China has several billion idle mobile phones, with over 400 million devices becoming idle each year.

Liu Yu, chairman of China Resources Recycling Group, emphasized the untapped potential of these "drawer phones", noting that their data security and privacy risks necessitate specialized handling during recycling.

Users in provincial capitals in China can access the "worry-free chip destruction" WeChat mini-program to schedule either on-site phone destruction or confidential mail-in recycling.

Devices undergo professional disassembly, mechanical crushing and smelting under real-time monitoring and full-process traceability, according to the company. Advanced physical shredding and pyrometallurgical technologies enable the safe extraction of precious metals while ensuring personal data security and material reuse.

Liu said that this system creates a replicable, scalable commercial model for nationwide confidential electronic carrier disposal and resource recovery.

In addition, through a partnership with China Post, China Resources Recycling Group has built a closed-loop industrial chain that includes front-end collection, secure mid-process destruction and high-value terminal processing. Plans are underway to expand this model to include computers, hard drives and other electronics, with the goal of establishing national platforms for end-stage electronic waste recycling and secondary trading, according to the company.

Xinhua