The State Council has issued China's extended producer responsibility (EPR) plan in order to better protect resources and the environment.

The new plan, published on Tuesday, requires producers to be responsible in resource consumption and adhere to environmental protection standards throughout the life of the product, rather than just focusing on the manufacturing process.

Their responsibilities should be extended to product design, consumption, recycling and waste disposal, according to the plan.

By 2020, an EPR policy framework should begin to take shape, while relevant laws and regulations shall be formed by 2025, it said.

By 2025, the waste recycling rate in China should reach 50 percent on average, the plan added.

The plan will first be introduced for electronics, automobiles, lead acid batteries and packing products.

The State Council highlighted the plan's significance to the county's ongoing supply-side structural reform and the upgrading of its manufacturing industry.