In the exhibition hall of Haier Smart Home’s first home appliance recycling interconnected factory in Laixi, Qingdao, a unique sculpture catches the eye. Inspired by the Mobius strip, it symbolizes the infinite recycling process of “recycling-dismantling-regenerating-reusing,” which is perfectly embodied by the factory, making it a veritable “carbon-negative” facility that forms a key link in the circular economy.
Stepping into the factory, the most striking contrast leaves a deep impression on visitors. Despite being a plant that processes waste home appliances, there is no smoke, dust, unpleasant odor, or noise. Instead, one finds neatly ordered, intelligent production lines and equipment operating efficiently. Here, discarded refrigerators embark on their journey of rebirth. Through a series of automated processes, the refrigerators are dismantled, sorting out over 20 types of materials including copper, iron, aluminum, glass, and plastic. Among these, metal materials are sold to smelting plants for reuse, while plastics are sent to the recycling workshop. After processes such as crushing, cleaning, recycling, and granulation, they are transformed into fragmented and granular recycled plastic materials, neatly packed and stacked.
According to information from the Color Masterbatch Industry Network, the Haier Recycling Interconnected Factory has not only made multiple innovations in environmental waste treatment and recycled material technology but also achieved breakthroughs in business models. For a long time, formal home appliance recycling and dismantling enterprises have faced profitability challenges. However, the Haier Recycling Interconnected Factory sees “recycling” as its focal point and profit source, clearly producing high-end recycled new materials. It has upgraded and created the industry’s most advanced plastic cleaning, sorting, and modified granulation production lines. Currently, Haier Smart Home has developed and produced PCR recycled new materials with industry-leading quality and stability, including four types: recycled standard sheet materials, recycled standard granular materials, recycled standard modified materials, and recycled customized modified materials, with a purity of up to 99.9% and almost zero physical property attenuation. Its production line not only solves industry problems such as black spots, impurities, and odors in recycled materials but can also customize high-end recycled materials to meet the needs of various fields such as home appliances, automobiles, toys, high-end luggage, and OA offices.
As global attention to environmental protection and sustainable development grows, the recycling industry is gradually becoming a new hot spot. China has introduced relevant policies to promote the recycling and disposal of waste home appliances, increasing the supply of recycled materials. As a leading enterprise in the home appliance industry, Haier Smart Home is actively planning the recycling industry, aiming to create a “green business card.” In the future, with continuous technological progress and sustained policy promotion, recycled materials are expected to replace traditional materials in more areas, injecting new impetus into sustainable economic development. However, the recycling industry still faces many challenges, requiring deeper cooperation between universities, enterprises, and governments to jointly promote the industry’s healthy development.