Flexible time periods for waste disposal

A designated area is built at a housing estate in Futian District where the residents can dispose of kitchen waste at fixed time of a day. Wang Haolan

Each residential estate is free to set any two fixed time periods a day for its residents to discard kitchen waste once the city begins to enforce its first regulation on household garbage management in May, the urban administration and law enforcement bureau said at a meeting interpreting the policy Thursday.

At least two fixed time periods will be allowed, in principle, for residents to drop off kitchen waste each day, according to the regulation, which was passed at a meeting of the city’s top legislature Tuesday.

At present, the fixed time period for the collection of kitchen waste at most residential communities is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day, said Yang Lei, deputy director of the urban administration and law enforcement bureau.

Plastic bags that are used to hold kitchen waste will be required to be discarded separately in the bins reserved for other waste. Shenzhen is said to be the first city in the country to put this idea into a regulation.

The garbage disposal fee will be collected directly based on the amount of garbage instead of the current water rate, according to the regulation. Additionally, Nov. 8 has been selected as Waste Reduction Day to promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

Another highlight of the regulation, according to Yang, is that it will require organizers of large-scale activities to arrange the sorting and transportation of garbage produced during the event.

Distinct from Shanghai, where waste is classified as wet, dry, recyclable or harmful, Shenzhen’s regulation requires people to sort trash into four categories, namely recyclables, kitchen waste, harmful waste and other waste.

Since last year, Shenzhen has been making solid progress in promoting garbage sorting. As of the end of last year, 3,508 residential estates run by property management companies had completed the removal of dustbins from each floor of the buildings.

Nearly 10,549 garbage-sorting supervisors so far have been dispatched to supervise sorting activities at different residential compounds, according to information released by the urban administration.