Shanghai sets new target as waste-sorting rate rises

The waste-sorting rate of Shanghai's permanent population on a voluntary basis should hit 98 percent by 2025 compared with 97 percent at present, a press conference heard on Wednesday.

By that time, over 95 percent of residential complexes and work units in the city should meet trash-sorting standards, and the source reduction rate of domestic garbage should reach above 5 percent as the city government mapped out its latest garbage-sorting target on Wednesday.

Moreover, the recycling rate of domestic garbage should stay at over 45 percent from the current 43 percent.

The goal is to continuously improve the city's whole-process domestic garbage-sorting system, said Shanghai Deputy Secretary General Wang Weiren.

In fact, the city unveiled a number of measures to further consolidate its trash-sorting achievements and stamp out weak points.

Accurate, refined, and green and eco-friendly are the priority terms in the next phase, Wang told the press conference.

"The city will further improve its sorting effect with combined measures such as upgrading disposal spots, improving the disposal environment and disposal mode as well as standardization of collection and transport process and acceleration of handling capacity."

With a refined approach, trash bins with refined sorting classification will be set up and digital approach will be taken to empower the city's trash-sorting endeavors, he added.

Meanwhile, efforts will be made to stem overpackaging in express delivery, online meal delivery and e-commerce industries and promote green-dining concept among the public, encouraging them to prevent food waste, said Wang.

Remarkable progress

Shanghai has made remarkable progress in its trash-sorting campaign since its garbage classification regulations went into effect on July 1, 2019, with waste-separation becoming a way of life for both local residents and expats.

The city sorted 9,391 tons of wet trash daily in the first 10 months of this year, surging 70 percent from the first half of 2019, before the law took effect, according to latest figures revealed by the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau during the press conference.

Between January and October, 17,325 tons of dry trash were collected daily in the city, down 15 percent from the first half of 2019.

In the past 10 months, 7,637 tons of recyclable waste and 2 tons of hazardous waste were sorted daily, soaring 180 percent and 1,400 percent from that of 2019, respectively.

Overall, more than 95 percent of local residential complexes and work units are up to trash-sorting standards and wet waste sorted out accounts for 35 percent of the total amount of dry and wet trash.

Since 2019, Shanghai continuously ranked No.1 among 46 major cities and metropolises over their domestic garbage classification performance based on the assessment of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The city has established a complete trash-sorting system with 15 incineration plants and 10 wet trash comprehensive treatment facilities.

Its combined recycling capacity of wet and dry trash amounts to 36,000 tons daily.

Moreover, it has established about 15,000 collection service spots for recyclable trash.

Since September, its recycling rate of domestic garbage has hit 43 percent.

The city plans to add another seven comprehensive treatment facilities for wet trash and construction on six has already started, according to Wang.

It is estimated that the city's capacity of incineration and recycling of wet waste would hit 38,000 tons by the end of 2025.

"Shanghai will further enhance refined classification, intelligent supervision and management, and resource utilization on its waste classification efforts to power the development of an 'ecological city'," said Wang.