THE city’s urban management bureau has recently invited domestic experts to discuss Shenzhen’s environmental sanitation development. Talking about the city’s comprehensive implementation of solid waste classification, experts in the industry have generally expressed affirmation.

The experts also said that they were looking forward to the formation of a Shenzhen model of waste sorting. In addition, the garbage problem resulting from takeaways and express parcels has also been discussed.

Liu Jianguo, a professor of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, said that legislation for garbage classification is necessary. With a complete legal system as a guarantee, garbage classification has been implemented smoothly in developed countries, Liu said.

He added that Shenzhen’s economic development and rule of law are relatively good, and the city has better legislative conditions for the promotion of garbage classification than other cities. “We have high expectations of Shenzhen as a pilot city and hope that it can provide experience for other cities on garbage classification legislation.”

Chen Haibin, an expert on household garbage classification and reduction, said that top-level design for garbage sorting is both correct and necessary. Garbage classification conforms to the trend, and is conducive to the harmlessness, reduction and recycling of the whole process.

“In the long run, garbage classification is beneficial to environmental and moral education nationwide. When garbage sorting can be carried forward, it shows that people have raised their awareness. However, in the process of legislation, the acceptance of the public should be taken into full consideration.”

In terms of some key issues for the legislation, Liu pointed out that the most important thing is to clearly define the responsibilities of all parties in the chain of garbage classification, including residents, public institutions, property companies, government at all levels and enterprises engaged in garbage transportation, treatment and recycling.

As to the Shenzhen model, both experts think highly of the city’s garbage classification guidance system, which benefits from the city’s inclusiveness towards new ideas, as well as the wide participation of the public.

For the garbage problem caused by takeaways and express parcels, it was advised that the key to solving the problem is source reduction, which would require encouraging residents to examine their consumption habits and change their lifestyles. (Zhang Yu)