Shanghai raises bar on trash sorting

Shanghai unveiled the Implementation Plan for the Continued Optimization of Shanghai's Trash Classification System on Wednesday.

The plan details measures to strengthen precision, drive refinement and promote greener practices of trash-sorting works that would support Shanghai's low-carbon development, said Wang Weiren, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government.

The new plan aims to increase citizen satisfaction with home waste separation to 96 percent, raise citizen engagement to 98 percent, and maintain compliance above 95 percent. It is also targeting to reduce domestic waste at source to more than five percent and boost recycling to over 45 percent, Wang said.

The plan involves implementing six strategic measures, including the strengthening of social governance, optimizing the collection infrastructure for convenience, promoting low-carbon transformation, systematizing the sorting process, enhancing recycling systems, and establishing intelligent monitoring of waste flows, Wang added.

"Since 2019, Shanghai has consistently achieved top marks among the country's 46 important cities and megacities in the ministry of housing and urban-rural development's assessment of trash categorization," said Wang.

He also noted that there has been a 0.7-fold increase in wet waste volume compared to before the household waste sorting plan was released, and that efforts are being made to increase total incineration and wet waste processing to 38,000 tons daily by 2025. Seven centralized wet waste processing facilities will also be introduced in the future.

The plan also seeks to optimize waste-sorting initiatives based on community feedback. Three major measures that will be taken based on feedback include establishing convenient community recycling stations and public service platforms, reinforcing the recycling system's stability, and improving resource utilization efficiency, said Deng Jianping, head of Shanghai greenery and public sanitation bureau.

According to Deng, authorities will also develop a fully digitized and data-driven waste management network that connects municipal, district and community operations by 2025.

The new digital framework will leverage Internet of Things technologies, real-time monitoring systems, and artificial intelligence to provide end-to-end visibility and oversight of Shanghai's waste stream, he added.

Zheng Zheng contributed to this story.