SUEZ signs new waste project with Chongqing partners to recycle organic solvents for reuse
DAI Ming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Changshou District Committee and District Mayor of Changshou Government said: “This project marks a key milestone in advancing the green transformation of the development zone. By leveraging SUEZ’s world-class resource recycling technology and expertise, we will establish a comprehensive waste recovery system, elevate the zone’s circular economy, and drive the creation of a ‘zero-waste zone’. Building on over 20 years of strong partnership with SUEZ, we are confident this initiative will set a benchmark for circular economy development in the upper Yangtze region, injecting fresh momentum into the area’s high-quality growth.”
With this new investment, SUEZ is expanding its collaboration with the Chongqing’s Changshou Economic and Technological Development Zone, from water management to waste solutions. The signing of this organic solvent recycling project marks a significant technological advancement from downstream treatment to source reduction. This initiative not only effectively mitigates environmental risks but also demonstrates how we can transform hazardous waste into valuable resources to support sustainable development.Franki Wong , CEO of Recycling & Recovery
The Changshou Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national industrial park and recycling economy demonstration zone, consistently ranked among China’s top 20/30 chemical parks. Anchored by core industries in natural gas chemicals, new materials, and green pharmaceuticals, it hosts multinational companies, including BASF, Inex, LG, Sinopec, Sinochem Group, and Fosun Pharma.
Organic solvents are widely used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. During the production process, solvents are mixed with impurities, that need to be treated by specific recycling facilities to meet China’s national standards and production purity requirements.
Under the agreement, the three parties will establish a joint venture to invest in, build, and operate a facility dedicated to recycling organic solvents, to be commissioned by mid-2027. With an annual treatment capacity of 30,000 tonnes of hazardous waste in phase I, the facility will provide over the next 30 years specialised services to clients within the industrial park, primarily supporting pharmaceutical, electronics, and other manufacturers that generate and reuse organic solvents, as well as companies of this kind in the wider Chongqing area.
Once recovered, these solvents will be reintroduced into the park’s industries for reuse in their production processes. It is estimated to help clients avoid 36,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. This circular model delivers both environmental and economic benefits. It prevents liquid hazardous waste from contaminating water and soil, while reducing resource extraction and lifecycle carbon emissions, compared to virgin solvents. Additionally, recycled solvents help enterprises lower raw material costs.
Since partnering with Chongqing in 2002, SUEZ has significantly expanded its scope of services, evolving from water production to wastewater treatment, environmental services for industrial parks, and R&D and innovation. The company is also a strategic shareholder in Chongqing Water Group and Chongqing Sanfeng Environment, both leading public companies in China’s water and waste sectors. This enduring collaboration with Chongqing is widely regarded as the most successful Sino-foreign public-private-partnership (PPP) model in China’s water industry. Across 22 industrial parks in China, SUEZ has been delivering industrial water supply (240,000 m³/day) and wastewater treatment services to (40,000 m³/day) the Changshou Economic and Technological Development Zone since 2011.
