Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, recently issued a plan to develop into a waste-free city during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
A waste-free city is a model of urban development that aims to minimize the environmental impact of solid waste by promoting green development methods and lifestyles, reducing the generation of solid waste at the source, maximizing resource utilization, and minimizing landfill.
The plan predicts that by 2025, Taiyuan's steel and coal mining industries will undergo a significant green transformation, resulting in lower solid waste generation. Additionally, there will be a noteworthy improvement in the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste.
The plan specifies seven critical tasks, including upgrading traditional industries, comprehensive utilization of solid waste, waste sorting and treatment, and recycling and reuse.
Taiyuan will upgrade traditional industries such as coking, steel, and cement, implementing quality improvement and clean, low-carbon transformation of heavily polluting processes in large industrial enterprises.
Relying on the construction of a recycling system for waste materials in Taiyuan, comprehensive utilization of solid waste such as scrap metal, waste paper, and plastic will be promoted.
Industrial solid waste investigation and remediation will continue. The city will adopt an "ecological protection and restoration + industrial introduction" approach to enhance private capital's participation and implement policies and measures for land reclamation, ecological governance, and environmental restoration.
Regular testing is set to be conducted on the disposal of recyclables, kitchen waste, hazardous waste, and other waste, and registration of waste generators in the catering industry is expected to be implemented to curb illegal collection and transportation, achieving full coverage of waste sorting.
For typical low-value recyclables such as foam, glass, and old clothing, fixed collection and mobile collection services are set to be conducted to effectively promote the recycling and reuse of low-value waste.