FLOWERS and tangerine trees are popular decorations for the Chinese New Year in Shenzhen. However, these decorations usually become seasonal waste as they are often thrown away after the Spring Festival holiday.

Residents in Shenzhen can drop off their seasonal waste at designated spots in their housing estates, as the city’s urban administration bureau has set up collection spots in all 3,478 residential estates across the city to encourage recycling, according to a notice issued by the Shenzhen urban administration Friday.

Property managements of housing estates can make reservations with recycling companies through the official WeChat account, “深圳垃圾分类,” to have the seasonal waste picked up for free. Even before the Spring Festival, the Qiaoxiangcun housing estate had posted some notices about plant recycling. Property managements can register on the service platform, which isn’t open to individuals.

Shenzhen took the lead in China by introducing the post-festival recycling of seasonal potted flowers and plants in Luohu District in 2010. The program was expanded to cover the entire city in 2017. The city recycled 1.67 million post-festival potted tangerine trees in 2018, of which 62,531 were replanted.

(Han Ximin)