Trash to Treasure

Beijing begins mandatory trash sorting in a bid to boost environmental protection

- Xia Yuanyuan

Wang Yuan, a social worker in Zhanlanlu area in Beijing’s Xicheng District, has received a number of queries from residents about the “puzzle” of trash sorting.

Since May 1, all residents in Beijing have been required to classify their household trash into four different categories: kitchen waste, recyclables, hazardous waste and other waste. The policy has had a noticeable effect since its implementation, but some problems have also cropped up.

“Though most residents believe that waste sorting is necessary, some complain about the inconvenience it has brought to their daily lives and think it is too complicated,” Wang told ChinAfrica. “But it is understandable as the practice has just started.”

In response to community feedback, the municipal government said it would fine-tune the requirements in coming days to encourage residents to participate in creating a better living place.

“Waste sorting is not a one-off campaign, but a long-term effort,” said Chang Jiwen, a senior environment policy expert at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

A necessary step

This is not the first time for Beijing to carry out trash sorting. Early in 1996, Dachengxiang Community in Xicheng became the first neighborhood to require residents to classify garbage. At the end of 2011, the city published China’s first household waste management regulation, which took effect on March 1, 2012.