When it comes to taking out the trash, our fair city is about to up the ante.
The Beijing Municipal Administration Commission recently told Tencent News that Beijing is piloting four types of garbage disposal classification, as part of new legislation on waste sorting. The newly revised regulations will not only clarify the responsibilities of government institutions but also those of us individuals.
Currently, 30 percent of the city sorts its trash accordingly, a new plastic recyclers system has even been introduced. But in 2019 officials aim to double that coverage. In the demo sorting areas that have already been established, the municipal city management committee have created several ways to divide and collect garbage, including setting up trash sorting stations; encouraging residents to participate in garbage sorting via, you guessed it, a point rewards system; collecting renewable resources and kitchen waste at fixed points; and collecting garbage at regular intervals in specific locations. Furthermore, in the future, a mobile phone app will allow residents to make an appointment for garbage collection.
Beijing has taken the lead when it comes to garbage sorting in China. Last year, more than 2,300 public institutions joined the compulsory classification team, including schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and tourist attractions. Next, Beijing aims to improve daily law enforcement inspections that will gradually cover residential quarters.
Past threatening not to collect unsorted trash, there has been no official announcement yet of how, if at all, individuals will be punished for poor recycling habits, though we can imagine it will involve the dreaded social credit system once it is finally enforced. For now, we wait to see if Beijingers can clean up their act.
READ: In 2008 Beijing Declared War on Plastic Bags… So What Happened?
Photo: rmzxb.com.cn
