BEIJING (AFP) - China issued new rules to ensure the fast rising number of cars on its roads are made with more environmentally friendly materials.

By 2010, at least 80 percent of each car will have to be made with materials that can be recycled or reused, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and State Environmental Protection Administration said.

By 2017, that has to reach 95 percent, according to the rules published on the NDRC's website.

Materials that are difficult to recycle and are not environmentally friendly, including mercury and lead, will be banned from being used in manufacturing, it said.

Chinese automakers will also be encouraged to stop using materials that emit poisonous gases or pose harm to the environment.

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