In 2026, the country’s first rubber recycling system for pet products was launched as a pilot scheme in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Offline pet shops have installed collection bins for used rubber toys to collect worn-out and discarded natural rubber toys. Following a process of sterilisation, shredding and desulphurisation, these are remanufactured into accessories such as shock-absorbing rubber pads for pet leads and non-slip rubber bases for pet beds, thereby achieving the circular use of waste rubber from pet products and addressing the issue of pollution caused by discarded rubber pet toys.
Previously, most discarded rubber pet toys were incinerated or landfilled alongside household waste, whilst natural rubber takes decades to degrade. According to the project operators, intact rubber toys collected through the scheme are disinfected and refurbished for donation to animal rescue centres for stray pets; damaged or fragmented rubber, following regeneration, is used to manufacture non-chewable rubber accessories for pets. The entire process is a closed-loop system, ensuring the material is never re-used to make chewable toys, thereby completely eliminating safety risks.
More than 120 chain pet shops in Shanghai have already joined the recycling scheme. Members of the public who bring their used rubber pet toys to collection points can exchange them for pet treats or vouchers for toys. The Department of Ecology and Environment has stated that the booming pet economy has generated a large volume of waste from pet products. Once the pilot rubber recycling model is fully established, it will be rolled out to major cities across the country to create a circular economy model for pet products, thereby reducing both the consumption of raw rubber and pollution from solid waste.
