Waste-free program piloted in 16 areas of China

A total of 11 cities and five regions in China are aiming to be "waste-free" after piloting a two-year national garbage disposal plan, Chinanews.com reported Tuesday.

The State Council published a guideline in December which listed 11 cities including Shenzhen in Guangdong, Baotou in Inner Mongolia, and Tongling in Anhui, as well as five other regions as "waste-free" cities, with the goal of largely reducing waste.

The country officially launched the pilot program on Monday to step up more efforts on waste disposal.

Du Xiangwan, an academic from the Chinese Academy of Engineering who proposed the idea of "waste-free" cities, said the waste reduction and resource utilization better reflected green development and the circular economy. "It will bring significant social and economic benefits." he said. 

"Waste-free doesn't mean there won't be solid waste or full utilization, but it puts more emphasis on the prevention of secondary pollution and the minimization of waste to reduce landfills," said Qiu Qiwen, head of the ministry's solid waste and chemicals management department.