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Abstract Metal-nitrogen-complexed carbon (MNC) materials have received tremendous attention because of their extraordinary catalytic performance and widely spread applications in the fields of electrocatalysis especially oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Yet currently, an efficient method for the mass production of MNC electrocatalysts under low costs is still lacking. Herein, we explored a facile low-cost route to construct Co-N-decorated carbon (Co-N-C) materials that were capable of providing a considerably higher ORR performance than commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst (comparable activity, higher long-term cycling stability, and tolerance to methanol contamination). The Co-N-C electrocatalysts were mainly facilitated via the efficient dehalogenation of polyvinyl dichloride or polyvinyl chloride and in situ doping with nitrogen and cobalt ions under mild conditions. Besides the rendered promising electrocatalysts for ORR, our developed method may be capable of converting the halogenated polymeric plastic wastes that are massively accumulated in our environment into value-added carbon-based catalytic materials. Graphical abstract Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]