How Hangzhou Asian Games venues achieve 'zero waste’

Photo shows an aerial view of Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The stadium is one of the 12 newly constructed venues for the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd.)

Venues for the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, have adopted substantial measures to achieve "zero waste", an important part of the organizers' goal of hosting a "green" Asian Games.

According to credible sources, the "zero waste" concept has been integrated into various links throughout the Games, and the recycling rate of materials used during the event is expected to reach at least 50 percent.

The use of recyclable building materials represents a major step toward the target of "zero waste".

The squash court at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, the venue for squash competitions of the Hangzhou Asian Games, was converted from an exhibition hall of the Hangzhou International Expo Center.

With a total area of about 9,504 square meters, the transformation of the venue maximized the utilization of existing facilities and equipment rooms of the expo center, and selected recyclable composite materials for the construction of new facilities, according to Fang Ming, head of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.

The newly built facilities in the venue can be quickly dismantled after the Games, so that the exhibition hall’s original functions can be seamlessly restored, according to Fang, who noted that targeted waste management has been achieved at the venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games.

With a sophisticated waste management system consisting of waste bins that can measure the weight of waste and upload data in real time, a smart system for waste sorting, cold storage for perishable kitchen waste, and waste collection points equipped with devices for automatic air quality monitoring, deodorization and disinfection, every piece of waste is carefully handled, according to Fang.

Hu Guanglong, property manager of the expo center, said the squash court is able to track the amount of "other waste" and "recyclables" generated at the venue. The "zero waste" target is achieved by promptly comparing day-to-day data and taking appropriate measures to increase sorting efficiency and recyclables utilization, Hu explained.

Newly built venues have also been putting the "zero waste” concept into practice. The Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, is one of the 12 newly constructed venues for the 19th Asian Games. It has integrated the idea of "zero waste" into various aspects of its operation, according to Ren Hongfan, project manager in charge of the construction of the Wenzhou Sports Center Stadium, which was undertaken by the branch of China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd. in east China's Shanghai.

Ren revealed that the venue has adopted lightweight steel structures, energy-efficient equipment, a variable-frequency water supply system, an air source heat pump system for domestic hot water, and rainwater harvesting system.

The venue’s air conditioning system uses a variable flow volume system and variable frequency pumps to minimize energy consumption, said Ren, who added that the venue will use a variable refrigerant flow system after the Games to ensure flexible use.

"Efforts have been made to comprehensively minimize waste generation, facilitate waste utilization, and promote waste biochemical treatment in daily management and operations," Ren said.

The venue has taken other measures to realize "zero waste", including retaining its original seats, fully utilizing the original space, implementing paperless ticketing, and promoting e-registration, e-office and the “bottle-free action”, according to Ren.