Last time, we talked about some urgent problems garbage recycling programs have encountered. However, what the garbage recycling programs set out to do does not meet people’s expectations. Industries that deal with garbage are simply unable to do the job. Additionally, some garbages, such as kitchen garbage, hazardous waste, cosmetics and drugs, can’t be recycled.

    At one time, I volunteered at a garbage recycling station in a residential area, which was supported by an environmental protection company. The company built 10 kitchen garbage decomposers that could turn waste into fertilizer. Residents in that area used a card to record how many times they put garbage into the machine, and they could earn rewards when they accumulated enough credits. However, 10 machines were not enough for the whole area, and processing takes time. In addition, the fertilizer generated by the machines was not enough to cover the costs of operating the machines. And, according to one report, fertilizer generated from kitchen garbage is not as effective as other kinds of fertilizer.

    Other recycling methods also had problems. For example, after picking up clothes that were donated, workers at the station just stored the clothes in the basement. They showed me the clothes they had collected so far and told me they couldn’t find people to take the clothes. I also found out that when cleaning companies came to take the garbage away, they simply mixed all the sorted garbage together. Hazardous garbage, such as tubes, cosmetics and drugs, are not biodegradable and can’t be recycled.

    Garbage recycling programs currently don’t work and need to be improved.

    Because recycling technology is still developing, few companies have efficient enough systems in place to earn a profit. For example, one recycling company in Shanghai processed 94 tons of lamp tubes, but only extracted 4 kilograms of mercury. Therefore, the company had a deficit of over 100,000 yuan (US$16,010). Most garbage companies simply use the old and cheap ways of dealing with such garbage — burning it or burying it.

    One good thing I saw, though, was the way batteries are recycled. One company that recycles batteries had already developed ways to earn profits from recycling batteries, which means they can operate for a long time and can encourage other companies to keep looking for ways to recycle garbage.

    In spite of the problems above, companies should not give up. Companies need to invent ingenious and profitable systems for recycling garbage. Also, the government needs to support recycling programs and create policies that encourage recycling.