An aerial view of the Blue Circle marine waste disposal base in Jiaojiang district, Taizhou. [Photo provided by Vision Blue]

East China's Zhejiang province approved the "Taizhou Ocean Plastic Waste Management Regulation" on July 31, which is set to take effect on Oct 1.

The Blue Circle project, launched in Taizhou, Zhejiang, in 2020, addresses the challenges of costly and inefficient marine plastic disposal through market-driven collection, high-value recycling, and international certification.

In 2023, the model earned the United Nations' highest environmental honor — the Champions of the Earth award.

Currently, the project covers 25 coastal regions across Zhejiang, collecting 58,800 metric tons of marine plastic waste — 92.04 percent of which is discarded fishing gear — while reducing carbon emissions by about 12,500 tons. The regulation establishes a comprehensive governance approach, including sea sanitation systems, monitoring, processing, and digital management. It encourages incentives such as collection rewards, premium payments for waste, product carbon labeling, and government funding for low-value recycling projects.

This legal framework establishes a replicable national standard, advancing both ecological protection and sustainable economic development.