Inclusive subsidies are gradually tapering off, with local policies and infrastructure standards working in synergy

Starting in 2026, central-level inclusive green home appliance trade-in subsidies will gradually taper off, shifting industry policy drivers from broad universal subsidies to standards and regulatory constraints, differentiated local policies, and targeted support working in synergy.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s mandatory requirements under the Residential Design Code continue to be implemented, specifying that kitchens must reserve dedicated power outlets and drainage interfaces for food waste disposers. The design implementation rate of this provision in new commercial housing nationwide has reached 99.2%, up 14.8 percentage points from 2024. Nationwide, 42 key cities explicitly require new residential projects to provide food waste disposal facilities at a rate of no less than 30%; affordable housing and Three-Star Green Building projects have already made them standard.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment continues to increase the weighting of waste sorting in assessments, raising the share of household source-reduction equipment penetration in total municipal assessment scores from 5% to 12%, directly driving local governments to intensify promotion. Twenty-three key cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, have implemented separate metering and charging for kitchen waste, gradually highlighting the cost advantage for residents and driving the release of renovation demand in the existing home improvement market.

At the local level, differentiated subsidies continue. Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and other places have introduced purchase subsidies, green home renovation consumption vouchers, and other policies tailored to local conditions, covering affordable housing projects, old residential community renovation, and other scenarios; bulk procurement demand through engineering channels remains stable. Central special guidance funds for integrated urban-rural sanitation continue to target key regions, creating synergies with local policies.