SHANGHAI – An ambitious new waste-sorting and recycling scheme introduced in Shanghai, China, now requires all residents to go to garbage collection stations to deposit unwanted product, including textiles, food waste and paper, or face a fine of up to 200 yuan (US$30) per person, or 50,000 yuan (US$7,300) for businesses.
The Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) regime, put in place by President Xi Jinping’s government, is the culmination of almost two decades work, throughout which it tried and failed to win the support of locals.
Now, bins have been removed across the city and residents and businesses must comply by visiting collection stations within designated periods; this in a bid to reverse the country’s mounting waste problem, which has seen China overtake the USA as the largest waste producer globally.
