Ningbo company recycles wastes into products

Ace Gift & Craft (Ningbo) Co Ltd, a company in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has become a pioneer in recycling discarded materials such as coffee grounds, straws, and melon seed shells into marketable products including storage boxes and hangers.

"The products are all made using renewable materials," said Luan Siyi, the company's sales manager, "Inspired by green principles and technological innovation, we are pushing forward the field of recycling and collaborating with upstream enterprises. We have invested more than 5 million yuan ($699,848) in the field."

Compared to petroleum-derived products, using materials like coffee grounds, straws, and melon seed shells presents greater challenges in the production processes, including shaping, surface treatment, and coloring. To solve these problems, Ace has increased investment in research and development. 

"The reason why we do it is to contribute to the nation's pursuit of the 'dual carbon' goals and enhance our competitiveness in international market as well," said Luan.

Luan said that though the production cost of the products is 20 percent higher than petroleum derivatives, they are more environmentally friendly.

This year, the value of products made using green materials has made up 10 percent of the company's total production value, doubling since the same period last year.

According to Luan, the company is exploring new sources of raw materials, such as extracting tea fiber from tea residue.