C40 Cities Waste Workshop, London, 22-24 March 2010

Municipal Solid Waste Management in

Beijing in Perspective of World City
WANG Hongzhong
Vice-Chairman, Beijing Municipal Commission of
City Administration and Environment

As a mega city, Beijing set the new target to be a world city recently. A green,
low-carbon solid waste management system is very important to build a world city.
Beijing put great importance on waste treatment, adheres to the principles of waste
quantity Reduce, recycling/reuse and decontamination, takes the low-carbon waste
treatment technology, hopes to communicate experience with C40 city and learn
advanced experience from other cities. Now I give a report on strategic objectives for
waste management in Beijing briefly.
I Basic situations and main problems for municipal solid waste
management in Beijing City
Beijing covers an area of 16,411 square kilometers, 1,368 square kilometers of
which are urban area (built area 1,254.2 square kilometers). In 2009, resident
population in Beijing City is 17.55 million, and the Waste generation in Beijing City is
6.69 million tons (18.3 thousand tons/day). At present, there are 25 stations for
municipal solid waste management facilities, with totally daily designed treatment
capacity of 12.7 thousand tons (ratios of sanitary landfill, biochemical treatment and
incineration 80:10:10), with actual treatment quantity 17.5 thousand tons/day and
municipal solid waste treatment rate is 96%. Besides, recycled materials in Beijing
City in 2009 are about 4 million tons, and recycling rate of waste reaches 37%.
Municipal solid waste management in Beijing City is similar to the development
in many cities home and abroad. With industrialization and urbanization, after
undergoing uncontrolled dumping and decontamination treatment, it is at the stage

1
from decontamination treatment to comprehensive treatment and recycling/reuse.
The problems are given below:
(1) Continuously increased generation of waste: with increased population and
improved living standard in Beijing City, waste generation is increased at a rate of
about 8% each year. If increased at such a rate, it is forecast that the waste
generation in the city in 2012 will reach 9.14 million tons (25 thousand tons/day) and
in 2015 will reach 11.52 million tons (about 30 thousand tons/day).
(2) Insufficient waste treatment capacity: at present, daily waste generation in
Beijing City is 18.3 thousand tons, totally daily designed treatment capacity is 12.7
thousand tons and actual treated waste is 17.5 thousand tons. The facilities operate
under overloaded conditions, with average overloading rate 30%, so service life of
the waste landfill site is shorted, with residual service life about 4 years and pollution
control is very difficult. In addition, for historically shaped more than 1000 informal
landfill fields, there are underground water, atmosphere pollution and hidden safety
troubles, which need further treatment.
(3) Unreasonable waste treatment structure: biodegradable organic
composition in the urban waste reaches more than 60%, waste of paper and other
high caloric value about 30%; organic composition in the rural waste is around 35%,
ash over 40%; however, the waste treatment in Beijing City is landfill as a dominant
means over 90%, and a land area of about 30ha is occupied each year. It is hard for
single waste treatment technology to realize categorized waste treatment, which has
influences on effects of waste separate collection and city residents’ activity in waste
separate collection. Due to lagged incineration and comprehensive treatment
facilities construction, caloric value and organic resources in waste are not fully
utilized. Landfill of blended waste increases the difficulty of pollution control.
II Working objectives of the next stage
To solve outstanding problems for municipal solid waste management
systematically and roundly, Beijing City carries on and expands achievements
obtained for the Olympic Games, follows the principles of reduction, recycling/reuse
and decontamination and determines “3 objectives” for municipal solid waste
management:
1. Increasing treatment capacity: daily municipal solid waste treatment capacity

2
in 2012 will reach 17 thousand tons, almost realizing restaurant and kitchen waste
separate collection and recycling treatment; daily municipal solid waste management
capacity in 2015 will reach near 30 thousand tons, which meet the municipal solid
waste management capacity in the city. Select the site in advance, perform the waste
treatment facilities construction project and meet the sustainable development
demands in the future.
2. Adjusting treatment structure: actively carry on waste incineration, which is
planned and constructed in accordance with the waste composition, generation
quantity and facilities construction and planning. Waste incineration, biochemical
treatment and landfill ratio in 2012 will be 2:3:5, which realizes zero landfill of crude
waste in urban area; the ratio will be 4:3:3 in 2015, which meets the demand for
categorized waste and realizes zero landfill of crude waste in the city.
3. Promoting waste reduction: establishing waste separate collection and
transportation system associated with the household waste incineration and
comprehensive treatment technology and control increasing of waste generation with
economic, legal, administrative and technical means. Annual increasing rate of
household waste generation will be reduced by 1% to 2% and reduced to 5% in 2015,
and conformity rate of waste separate collection reaches about 50%; annual
increasing rate of household waste generation will be 0, and conformity rate of waste
separate collection reaches about 65%.
III Measures for realizing strategic objectives for waste treatment in Beijing
1. Establish household waste separate system
Kitchen waste and restaurant waste in urban waste in Beijing City is over 60%,
waste of paper and other high caloric waste about 30%, ash and etc. about 10%;
kitchen waste and restaurant waste in rural waste is more than 40%, waste of paper
and other high caloric waste around 20% and ash and etc. about 40%. Therefore,
urban household waste is classified into recyclable waste, kitchen/restaurant waste
and other waste; rural household waste is classified into recyclable waste,
Kitchen/restaurant waste, ash and other waste.
There are 474 communities launching waste separate collection in the city in
2009, covering a population of 1.13 million. There are 400 (30%) government offices
and schools realizing conformed waste categorization and 600 residing quarters

3
issuing waste categorization collection containers and waste bags free of charge.
Waste separate collection was developed in around 92 towns in Beijing in 2009 and
will be increased to 183 towns in the city in 2010.
RFID labels are attached to waste collection containers in Chaoyang District and
are marked with waste category, container owner, waste trace and other information,
and the waste management pilot supported by internet of things technology has been
shaped. In combination with situations in Fangshan District, the “government leading
- professional management - society mobilization - resident participation” mode has
been established, and the waste categorization supervisor team is established to
serve residents participating in waste separate collection and realize links among
waste separate collection, transportation and treatment.
2. Reinforce waste recycling and reuse system
There are 350 recyclable waste collecting stations and 13 recyclable waste
sorting centers in the 8 urban districts in 2009. There will be 300 recyclable waste
collecting stations and 3 recyclable waste sorting centers to be constructed in 2010.
One recyclable waste collecting station will be established for each 1000-1500
households in 2012. Online reservation for recyclable waste collection will be
developed, with telephone and recyclables publicized. The last Saturday in each
month is fixed as the recycling date in the city to develop related activities. Related
municipal authorities have organized professional recycling teams to mobilize the
root layers’ activity and develop dedicated recycling for regenerated resources since
August, 2009.
3. Develop “zero waste” trial
“Zero Waste” Trial Management for Household Waste in Beijing City and
Management Standard for “Zero Waste” Trial Unit for Household Waste in Beijing City
were formulated in 2009, and “zero waste” management trial for household waste
has been developed in government offices, schools, parks, shopping malls, 5-star
hotels, holiday villages, fruit and vegetable wholesales market, residing quarters and
100 units in total, including using regenerated paper and no purchasing excessively
wrapped commodity; maximizing recycling paper, plastic and metal; local treatment of
Kitchen/restaurant waste. There are 2 green waste treatment stations have been
established at Caoqiao and Xinfadi in Fengtai District, with treatment capacity 300

4
tons/day for local green waste. Beijing Xiaotangshan Special Vegetable Base and
Beijing Yulong Fine Produce Plantation Company are fixed as the trial units for trim
vegetable launched into market. Experts are organized to train enterprises and guide
the trial units to develop standard production of trim vegetable, and cooperation
relation has been establish with large supermarkets, organs and groups and etc. to
develop trim vegetable launched into market.
4. Restore contaminated dumping site and reduce greenhouse gas
The 1st waste treatment facilities Asuwei Waste Sanitary Landfill was built in
1994. Before this, waste in the city was dumped under natural pit or left by taking
sand or making bricks, without any pollution controlled measure and waste dump site
was shaped. Through survey and research, there are 1011 waste dump site, covering
an area about 1300 hectares, storing about 80 million cubic meters waste, occupying
a large number of land resources, lacking pollution control measures, polluting
underground water, aboveground water and atmosphere, with fire and other safety
troubles. To obtain restore experience, there are 27 sites which have been restored
since 2006. Environment Risk Evaluation of waste dumping site has been finished in
2009, and waste dump site restore plan is under research. In accordance with the
principle of restoring waste dump site located at water source protection site, North
Canal and other key areas at high priority, waste dump site will be resorted within 5-7
years.
5. Accelerate waste treatment facilities construction
Under the circumstances that the land for sanitary landfill in Beijing becomes
difficult. The fundamental for treating different waste with different technology, is
waste separate collection; namely, waste is categorized in accordance with the waste
treatment demands. Firstly, recyclable waste (refer to sellable waste) is picked up to
reduce generation; secondly, Kitchen/restaurant waste are main sources of odor, and
is collected separated. Well separated collected Kitchen/restaurant waste can be
used for producing compost in most cases; lastly, the left waste is classified into other
waste. Each kind of waste after categorization can be reasonably treated and
secondary pollution can be well controlled.
In accordance with waste separated collection forwarding plan in Beijing City,
65% of the population in urban area in Beijing City will practice waste separated

5
collection in 2015. So treatment of blended waste is considered. Comprehensive
treatment technology of waste separated collection or mechanical screening
(pretreatment) + incineration+ composting+ residual landfill is applied. Through
screening pretreatment, waste of high caloric and high organic content are separated
for incineration and biochemical treatment, residues are landfilled, heat and organic
of waste are utilized in maximum, and landfilled waste quantity and greenhouse gas
emission, penetration leachate and etc. during landfill are reduced.
Different waste is treated through waste separate collection and mechanical
screening, which overcomes shortage of blended waste, e.g. low quality of
biochemically treatment and low calorific value of incineration.
Reasonable layout of waste treatment facilities is realized based on combination
of long-term planning and short-term construction and combination of trans-regional
centralized treatment and disperse treatment in districts. Meanwhile, according to
generation quantity and composition features of household waste in Beijing City,
technical route for waste treatment is fixed. Before 2015, there are more than 40
waste treatment facilities to be constructed and reconstructed, with direct investment
10 billion Yuan. Asuwei Waste Integrated Treatment Plant, Dongcun waste Integrated
Treatment Plant and Chaoyang Gaoandun Kitchen/restaurant waste Treatment Plant
were built in 2009. Spectrum sorting line with daily treating capacity of 150 tons
establish at Xiaowuji Transfer Station and mechanical sorting line with daily treatment
capacity of 100 tons established at Dadun were built in 2009.
Based on sustainable development demands in the next 50 years, the municipal
government reserves land to set up 4 recycling economy eco-parks integrating waste
incineration and bio-treatment, environmental protection industry development,
popularization of science and modern agriculture, which combines promoting local
employment and improving ecological environment and benefit surrounding residents.
Site selection and a treatment facility will be finished and put into use in stages. Strict
planning control is applied to the future facilities and present facilities, and measures
are used to improve public environment around facilities.
6. Establish operation management supervision platform and reinforce waste
treatment facilities operation regulation
GPS, electronic identification and other technical means are used to establish

6
intelligent waste collection, transportation and logistics supervision system, carry out
real-time statistics of waste generation, transportation and treatment quantity and
online monitor and supervise the waste treatment facilities. At present, waste
treatment facilities online supervision and measurement system has been
established partly, will be realized in 2011.
Strict flue gas purifying technology should be used for newly built waste
incineration plant in Beijing. For instance, double dioxin remove equipment will be
used in incineration plant in order to meet the dioxin emission requirement of criterion
in Beijing. At the same time, pollution control measures and pollution supervision data
are released to accept the public’s supervision.
7. Economic means promoting waste minimization and recycling
Total generation quantity of waste is controlled. According to control objective of
increasing rate of household waste, total annual generation quantity in districts and
counties are determined. Counties and districts with excessive generation quantity
will be punished.
Based on the principles of encouraging districts and counties to screen and
separate collecting waste and encouraging incinerating and comprehensively treating
household waste, Separated collected kitchen/restaurant waste entry into waste
facilities will enjoy preferential prices.
Establish the economic compensation mechanism for waste treated in another
district; namely, the area generating waste pays economic compensation for waste
treatment to the area for waste treatment in another place based on the quantity
treated. The economic compensation is mainly used for compensating and solving
the influences on surrounding environment by the waste treatment facilities and
insufficient environmental and waste treatment facilities.
Gradually perfect the waste charging system. Based on the principles of “the one
who generates waste pays and the one who categorizes is benefited”, “charging
against quantity and category” will be realized.
8. Enhance publicity and training for a sustainable and expanded social
participation
Firstly, media are utilized to establish a platform for interaction between the
government and the public to publicize models and mobilize the mass to join. At

7
present, public interest promotion film on waste separated collection has been
released via Beijing TV Station, urban TV, public transportation and metro TV and
other media for consecutive 3 months, public interest advertisement on waste
separate collection has been released in carriages of 500 public transportation
vehicles and lamp box advertisement on waste separate collection has been
released on platforms of Metro Lines 1, 5 and 10.
Secondly, mobilize governmental authorities, environmental groups and other
social resources to develop all-around education activity. Waste categorization
knowledge is populated in middle schools and primary schools. World Earth Day,
World Environment Day and etc. are used to hold large publicity activities to develop
waste separate collection promotion activity, waste separate collection community
activity and conformed schools for waste separate collection. The 13th Session of
Pupils “I Love Earth Mother” Speech Contest titled “Participating in Waste separate
collection and Constructing Green Beijing” will be held. Launch the activity called “I
am the first one for emission reduction”-campus activity for waste separate collection.
Flag granting ceremony will be held for “EP Volunteer Team” will be held in
Banbuqiao primary schools etc. “EP Volunteer Team” will be established. Organize
and develop “Hand-in-Hand” waste treatment facilities visiting.
Thirdly, deeply develop community publicity for waste separate collection. Waste
treatment facilities with the publicity education base are opened to students and
social units. Environmental protection bags, Environmental Protection Saving
Brochure, Hand-in-Hand Waste Separate Collection Brochure and related materials
are released to several districts; prompt recyclable materials public interests donation,
waste and used articles exchange, waste separate collection knowledge Q& A
activities.