The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen started mandatory garbage sorting on Tuesday, the day on which the city's new household waste regulation takes effect.

The regulation stipulates the requirements, standards and technical routes for garbage sorting work, as well as provisions related to the allocation of facilities and an incentive mechanism, according to the municipal bureau for urban management and comprehensive law-enforcement.

A centralized model for classified waste disposal has already been implemented in Shenzhen, with more than 3,500 residential communities taking part. Urban villages, government agencies and public institutions, as well as schools and kindergartens citywide, have implemented garbage sorting.

The city currently collects 4,000 tonnes of household waste per day.

Any individual who violates the regulation and refuses to correct their behavior will face a maximum fine of 200 yuan (about 29 U.S. dollars), while units that collect and transport classified domestic waste will be fined up to 500,000 yuan for any violations.