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China launched a new demonstration project for the safe recycling and disposal of mobile phones in northern China's Tianjin and South China's Shantou of Guangdong province on Jan 18.

China Resources Recycling Group, a newly established centrally administered State-owned enterprise headquartered in Tianjin, became the first in the country to integrate online and offline operations for recycling, dismantling and smelting mobile phones.

Mobile phones hold significant recycling value due to the presence of precious metals like gold, silver and copper, however, privacy concerns have hindered their reuse.

It is estimated that during the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-25) period, 6 billion mobile phones were discarded in China, with 54.2 percent not being recycled, highlighting a need for solutions, according to the China National Resources Recycling Association.

In response, the group partnered with State-owned enterprises, including China Post and China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, to establish an online platform offering door-to-door and confidential mail recycling services.

Discarded phones undergo mechanical destruction and smelting under strict surveillance to recover valuable metals.

Liu Yu, Party secretary and chairman of the board of the group, noted that it aims to spearhead efforts in scientific innovation in recycling and open wider to collaboration.

"We will safeguard national resource security and accelerate the establishment of a technology-innovation enterprise that serves national strategies and leads in high-quality development," he said.