As of the end of September, the city’s household waste recycling rate reached 49.1% while its kitchen waste classification rate stood at 26.1%, according to the city’s urban management authority.
In 2020, Shenzhen started enforcing its first regulation on household waste management, making it compulsory instead of voluntary. The city has achieved major progress since the regulation took effect, and it helped the city become the country’s cleanest city, according to Shenzhen Evening News.
The city’s collection of recyclables increased by 41.2%, hazardous waste increased by 28% and food waste increased by 167%, while other waste disposal decreased by 16.3% as of September.
The city’s garbage disposal has reached an average of nearly 30,000 tons per day, and the city has over 900 vehicles collecting various types of garbage and about 150 garbage treatment devices.
“The area around the garbage bins used to stink, so I wouldn’t even pass by. I just threw the garbage away and covered my nose. Now, the road is clean and the air is fresher, my children are also willing to help take out the trash,” said a resident surnamed Li, who has been living in Shenzhen for 23 years.
Shenzhen has implemented garbage classification in over 5,800 residential compounds (including urban villages) and arranged garbage sorting supervisors to guide citizens at waste classification stations in their respective residential compounds.
A garbage sorting supervisor surnamed Jiao told the News that he is a sanitation worker by day and works as a supervisor at night to guide people to better classify their trash.
“I feel very proud when people recognize my work,” Jiao said.
Jiao normally starts his work at 6:50 p.m. and sends collected kitchen waste to transfer vehicles at 9 p.m. “The Meilinyicun housing compound has over 7,000 households and 35 garbage sorting supervisors,” Jiao said.
More than 10,000 garbage sorting supervisors were arranged to guide at the city’s waste dumping points to promote garbage sorting among citizens when the regulation came into force.
Shenzhen also issued a plan to offer subsidies for residential communities that excel in garbage sorting. As of now, a total of 870 residential communities have won the title of garbage sorting green community and received awards totaling over 80 million yuan (US$11 million).
At the same time, Shenzhen launched a public education campaign named “dandelion plan” to encourage the public to join the city’s garbage sorting volunteer team.
As of now, some 500,000 students from nearly 1,000 schools across the city have recycled more than 100 tons of milk cartons. These recycled milk cartons will be turned into other recycled products, according to the News.
“Recycling milk cartons gives a sense of accomplishment,” said Huang Nannan from Shenzhen Cuizhu Foreign Language Experimental School.
Shenzhen has five garbage incineration plants in Nanshan, Yantian, Bao’an, Longgang and Pinghu, and one emergency landfill in Xiaping. The city’s incineration capacity can reach up to 20,000 tons per day, as per the report.