China Aims for Effective Urban Waste Management by 2030

Kathmandu. China has set a goal to make urban waste management more effective by 2030. China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development announced the plan during the National Urban Waste Management Conference held in the capital Beijing on Monday. In addition to this, China has also launched the 'National Urban Household Waste Classification Awareness Week' nationwide from May 25 to 31. Through the program, citizens will be made aware of waste segregation, reuse, and adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle. According to ministry officials, China will make waste management more effective in the coming years, strengthen the collection system for recyclable materials, and prioritize safe waste management. This is expected to support high-quality urban development and the 'Beautiful China' campaign. China has been vigorously advancing the waste classification campaign for the past decade. The ministry stated that the waste management system has been expanded across the country through various model projects, pilot programs, and public awareness campaigns. Currently, waste classification systems have been implemented in almost all residential areas of more than 297 provincial-level cities in China. These cities have implemented 199 local regulations and more than 100 technical standards related to waste management. Officials say this has institutionalized the culture of waste segregation in urban areas. According to statistics released by the ministry, 1,137 waste incineration plants were in operation across China by the end of 2025. The combined daily processing capacity of these plants has reached 1.18 million tons. This is helping to safely manage the large amount of urban waste produced. Similarly, 15 provincial regions, including Beijing, Zhejiang, and Shandong, have completely ended the practice of burying raw household waste underground. In these areas, waste is now managed through classification, recycling, and incineration systems. In recent years, China has been prioritizing environmental protection, pollution control, and green development at the national level. According to experts, the new goal of increasing the waste recycling rate is expected to reduce environmental pollution, increase resource reuse, and significantly contribute to sustainable urban development.