Guangzhou and Shenzhen officials recently approved a plan for compulsory waste classification. Before September, all residential communities in Guangzhou will be equipped with color-coded dustbins in order to begin scheduled garbage placement and collection.

The implementation timetable includes:

1. Before July 16th, residents should be informed of pick-up routes and the information hot-line.

2. Before August, residents should be familiar with the hot-lines of different districts.

3. Before September, residential communities will be equipped with garbage classification dustbins in designated places.

4. Before the end of October, every village will contain a set of color-coded dustbins in specific places and give out related guidance to residents.

5. Before November, residents should have garbage recycle stations in place. Residents should also know when to take out rubbish at specific times and places.

6. Before December, each street will be equipped with at least three full-time supervisors for waste classification. Each community will be equipped with at least one specialist to supervise and guide the accurate classification of waste.

7. By the end of December 2020, Guangzhou will withdraw all dustbins in corridors. One hundred and seventy towns (streets) in the 11 districts of Guangzhou will implement the compulsory garbage classification system.

Communities should set a fixed transport timetable and route based on household waste placement times and amounts of garbage. Recyclable and hazardous garbage should be cleared each week. Kitchen waste and other garbage must be cleared daily.

If the type (including color, logo, etc.) of the dustbin does not match the type of garbage truck (including color, logo, etc.), the rubbish collector will refuse to transport the garbage. If the type of garbage does not match the dustbin, rubbish collectors will also refuse to transport the garbage.

There will be blue (recyclable waste), green (food), red (hazardous waste) and gray (other waste) dustbins in Guangzhou. Here’s the specific garbage classification guide:

1.Recyclable waste (Blue bin)

1) Paper: books, envelopes, paper bags, cardboard boxes

2) Plastics: plastic toys, plastic bottles, foam plastics

3) Glass: glass bottles, window glass

4) Metals: knives, iron pans, zip-top cans, nail clippers

5) Drink cans

2.Food waste (Green bin)

1) Scraps: grain, meat, vegetables, sauces, spices

2) Leftover: hot pot seasoning, fish bones, coffee residue, residue of TCM herbs

3) Expired food: cakes, candy, pet food

4) Fruit: rind, seed, pulp

5) Flower & plant: leaf, branch, petals

3 .Hazardous waste (Red bin)

1) Batteries: storage battery, lead-acid battery, button cell

2) Bulbs: fluorescent tube, halogen bulb, energy-saving bulbs

3) Medicine: pills, expired medicine

4) Thermometers: mercury thermometer, mercurial sphygmomanometer

5) Paint: paint cans, nail polish, hair dye

6) Film: x-ray film, photo film

7) Poison: disinfectant, pesticide, rodenticide

[Handle carefully with a package; empty contents of pressurized containers]

4.Other waste (Grey bin)

Paper napkins, toilet paper, diaper, hair, cigarette butts, nylon, mirrors, dust, bubble wrap, pottery, pens, plasticine, plastic bags, used towels

Remember to make sure your waste is disposed of in the right bin.

Garbage classification in Shenzhen

“There is no dry and wet garbage classification in Shenzhen”, said Yang Lei, deputy director of the Shenzhen Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau. In order to facilitate the corporation between the front-end garbage classification and the back-end garbage disposal system, waste in Shenzhen is classified into four categories, that is, recyclable garbage, kitchen garbage, hazardous garbage and other garbage which is the same as in Guangzhou.

Author: Li Jiaxing (Intern)

Editors: Chris, Steven Yuen