Urban garbage disposal and management in China

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Jiang, Yuan | Kang, Mu-yi | Liu, Zheng | Zhou, Yan-fang

Affiliations: Institute of Resources Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Abstract: This paper, probing into the present situation of urban domestic garbage by analyzing its growing trend, compositional change and regional difference, reveals the problems existing in its disposal and management in China. Meanwhile, a questionnaire was conducted in five big cities around China for surveying urban residents' attitudes towards garbage disposal and management policies and measures. Results showed the output of urban domestic garbage in Chinese cities is ever increasing, and the recoverable materials and energy in garbage composition are also increasing. The population growth, economic development, and increase of residents' expenditure level are the main factors influencing the growing output and changing composition of the garbage. Information acquired from the questionnaire showed that majority of the urban residents are in favor of the garbage reduction policies and managerial measures and are willing to collaborate with municipal government in battling against garbage.Based on the analysis and questionnaire, some polieymaking-oriented suggestions such as operating the garbage disposal from a social welfare service to a sector of profit-gaining enterprises, transferring the garbage management from passive end control to active source control, promoting the classified garbage collection in cities around China, and charging garbage fees for its cleanup and disposal, have also been put forward in the paper.

Keywords: urban domestic garbage, garbage collection, garbage disposal, garbage management

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 531-540, 2003