Siming takes lead in garbage sorting

Volunteers promote trash-sorting knowledge at a community in Siming district of Xiamen. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xiamen's Siming district is leading the way in trash-recycling, as local authorities have implemented a plethora of measures to promote household garbage sorting.

Citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of trash sorting nationwide, especially on the back of strict regulations regarding domestic waste management passed in Shanghai in early July.

Siming, the central district in Xiamen, has made some serious strides, with its waste classification program now implemented in all of its jurisdictions, which include 1,656 residential communities and 40 grocery markets.

The results can be attributed to the efforts of local government.

As one of 46 pilot cities for household garbage sorting across the country, Xiamen implemented municipal regulations on domestic waste management on Sept 10, 2017.

The regulations stipulate that individuals who do not properly separate their trash may face a fine of between 50 and 1,000 yuan ($149.25), while institutions face heftier charges ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 yuan.

In order to ensure compliance, regular inspections are being conducted at trash stations in residential neighborhoods, shopping malls, hospitals and parks.

In Siming, 289 fines totaling 149,080 yuan were issued between January of 2018 and June this year according to the district's urban management bureau. One hundred and forty were given to individuals while the rest were given to institutions.

Violators of the trash-sorting regulations may also be recorded in the city's credit system and will be subject to further punishments in multiple sectors.