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Urban Waste Arouses Concern
As the country rapidly develops, China's waste management system, particularly in the cities, needs to be upgraded, urban environmental experts said on Tuesday.
"For a certain long time to come, the cities should safely bury those wastes which cannot be reused and recycled," Zhang Jinfeng, senior researcher with the Ministry of Construction, said at a workshop on urban waste treatment.
Zhang's view resulted from the facts that many cities are thinking about constructing power station by burning waste.
"The scheme is good but the investment is tremendous and some cities cannot afford it," Zhang said.
More than 400 waste treatment specialists from home and abroad gathered in Beijing on Tuesday to help the Ministry of Construction devise a national strategy for urban waste disposal.
Data from the Ministry of Construction show the country has seen a rapid increase in the production of solid waste in recent years -- with an annual growth rate of 9 per cent. Last year, an estimated 110 million tons of solid waste were produced in cities alone.
Rapidly modernizing cities with surging populations have seen their production of waste rise by 15 to 20 per cent over the last two decades.
Industrial waste has also increased sharply over the same period, and some 650 million tons of such waste is produced each year.
Experts said the country should have both public and private sectors from home and abroad involved in the treatment of solid wastes in cities.
Larger and more competitive companies with better technology and facilities should be encouraged. Small companies should be merged or attract overseas investment to reorganize.
"Participation of both national and international companies will provide an opportunity for the exchange of management skills and technologies in the area of waste disposal," said Lu Yingfang, branch director of urban construction under the ministry.
Another urban environmental expert said public awareness and participation are also crucial to China's urban waste disposal.
"International experience shows that those countries whose population has high levels of awareness and strong commitment to environmental protection have the best performing waste management services and China should follow the examples," Nancy Convard, urban environmental specialist and Asia Development Bank official suggested.
The importance of public participation in the decision-making process for making environment policies and plans is undoubtedly being recognized in China, she said.
Convard said public support for future waste disposal services will help families become aware of the need to pay a larger part of total costs for household waste collection and disposal.
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