Hidden cost of recycling in the bag

Hu Min

Standardized garbage bags and bins designed for different types of trash hit city supermarkets yesterday.

About 3,000 bins and 10,000 bags designed for separating household food waste (wet garbage) and other garbage (dry) are on sale at 10 outlets of Carrefour.

These bags and bins were manufactured based on specifications from Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.

The dry garbage sack is black with several holes in the bottom.

“The design aims to prevent any mistakes because water from wet trash will drip through the holes,” said Qi Yumei, deputy director of sanitation management.

The bag for wet waste is brown, the same color as the bins used for wet trash. The bag is thicker and more transparent, which allows sorting inspectors to check the contents more easily, she said.

The bins are the same colors as the bags. The dry bin is bigger.

“We need to improve sorting, and the colors and patterns on the bags and bins will help,” said Qi.

A pack of three rolls of 25 wet garbage bags and a roll of 25 dry trash bags is priced 19.9 (US$2.9) yuan, or 0.2 yuan per bag, more than ordinary bags.

Hu Min

“The price is normally less than 0.1 yuan per bag. These are too expensive,” said Cai Yonghong, a Hongkou District resident. “Also, bags from supermarkets and wet markets can be used for garbage.”

“The package is good because more wet waste is produced in daily life than dry, but it makes no difference if I know how to sort garbage correctly,” said Chen Yinwei, in his 60s.

Qi said the higher price is because of higher technical standards and better quality.

“We are collecting opinions from residents and will make adjustments based on their suggestions,” she said.

The bags and bins will be sold at supermarkets, shopping malls, convenience stores and wet markets to give another push to garbage sorting.

Changning, Chongming, Fengxian, Jing’an, Songjiang and Yangpu districts will have widespread garbage sorting by the end of this month.

Hu Min