Cooperation between the recycling industries in China and the European Union (EU) should be enhanced, officials attending the 5th China-EU Round Table meeting agreed Monday.

Wang Gang, chairman of the China Economic and Social Council, said developing a recycling industry is one of China's key strategies in its economic and social advancement. To do that, China will strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the international community.

Mario Sepi, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, said China and the European Union face a common environmental fate and stressed the importance of exchanging experiences of waste disposal.

With fast economic development and population growth, China has an increasing amount of waste, according to the round table meeting.

About 130 million tonnes of waste were produced in China in 2008. That number is growing at a rate of seven to nine percent each year, said Zhu Tan, director of the Research Center for Environment and Social Development at Nankai University.

He said China lacks technology and equipment necessary for classified waste collection in cities. Also the lack of publicity and supervision has made recycling inefficient.

Around 40 delegates from Europe and China attending the round table meeting called for the construction of a Sino-EU recycling board to strengthen communication of experiences and information.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2009)