BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has made progress after introducing mandatory garbage sorting in May, authorities said on Tuesday.

The daily average amount of sorted domestic kitchen waste in the city reached 740 tonnes since May, up 159 percent month-on-month and a year-on-year increase of 37 percent, according to a press conference of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Management.

Beijing launched a guidance program called Green Bands, with those wearing green bands working in communities to help with garbage sorting.

Law enforcement officers investigated more than 500 residential compounds since May and most of the communities were found to conduct efficient promotion of garbage sorting.

Beijing will take more specific measures to continue garbage sorting, according to the press conference.

In 2019, Beijing's residential waste collection and transport volume was 10.116 million tonnes, with an average of 27,700 tonnes per day.

Garbage sorting practices have reached over 70 percent of housing estates in 18 cities, including Shanghai, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.