Over 2,000 years ago, humans began documenting the use of fossil fuels. In 1859, the drilling of an oil well in Pennsylvania, U.S., marked the dawn of the modern petroleum industry. Yet, for over a century, the disposal of petrochemical waste has remained a persistent challenge for humanity.

Now, a game-changing technological breakthrough in Jieyang, Guangdong, has taken the world by storm. It is the world's first continuous, large-scale chemical recycling plant for mixed waste plastics. Dongyue Chemical launched a 200,000 tons per year mixed waste plastic recycling project, using innovative one-step technology to give new life to low-value waste plastics. This marks not only a milestone for China's petrochemical industry, but a revolutionary leap from "dependence on crude oil" to "circular regeneration."

Unlike the conventional, widely-used two-step process of first pyrolyzing waste into oil and then refining it into chemical feedstocks, this innovative technology bypasses the need for complex sorting of various low-value mixed waste plastics, but transforms them directly into valuable resources. Zhang Xingong, Chairman of Guangdong Dongyue Chemical Technology Co., explained the advantage of their method: "We can collect the waste plastics now scattered everywhere, and directly turn them into new plastics. It achieves the true rebirth and recycling of them."

From "white pollution" that no one dares to touch to "industrial feedstock" that supports the industrial chain, Guangdong has achieved in one year what was planned for three, with a globally unique pathway to transform low-value waste into high-value materials.

Today, Jieyang has set its sights even higher. A 3,000-mu (200-hectare) green recycling industrial park is rapidly taking shape. With a second-phase investment of 22.6 billion yuan targeting a capacity of 3 million tons, the project is set to produce over 2 million tons of green olefins each year, injecting sustainable momentum into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's home appliance and automotive industries.

Yet, on Guangdong's petrochemical landscape, this is just one of its highlights. The ExxonMobil Huizhou Ethylene Project started operations at peak performance, with its 1.6-million-ton ethylene facility forming the backbone of high-end manufacturing. Global giants like BASF and CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Co. Ltd. have made their strategic moves here, bringing world-leading technologies to compete on this vibrant stage.

From Jieyang's circular breakthrough to multinational giants' strategic landings, Guangdong is accelerating the global eastward shift of the petrochemical industry's center of gravity, powered by the dual engines of innovation and openness.

With over 9,800 petrochemical firms generating 2 trillion yuan in revenue, Guangdong's layout of "a coastal petrochemical belt and five industrial hubs" has forged an unbreakable bond between its coastal ports and industrial clusters.

A single, game-changing move revolutionizes waste. A trillion-yuan petrochemical powerhouse now stands, forging a world-class, well-integrated ecosystem. This is a major milestone in China's economic development.