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 Co., Ltd. (CRRGC), a centrally administered state-owned enterprise, announced the nationwide expansion of its secure mobile phone recycling and disposal demonstration program to provincial capital cities.

This marks the official 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, CRRGC has focused on constructing a secure electronic waste disposal system since its establishment in October 2024. Following trial operations in the cities of Tianjin and Shantou starting Jan. 18, the project is now expanding nationwide.

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

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

Starting Thursday, 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 processed at CRRGC's Shantou facility undergo professional disassembly, mechanical crushing, and smelting under real-time monitoring and full-process traceability, according to CRRGC. 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, CRRGC 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 e-waste recycling and secondary trading, according to the company.