China advances campaign against illegal solid waste dumping, disposal

China has made significant progress in its nationwide campaign against illegal dumping and disposal of solid waste, with more than 56,000 issues identified and over 45,000 rectified since the drive began in June last year, Vice-Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Gao said on Thursday.

Speaking at a State Council Information Office news conference, Li said authorities had cleaned up and disposed of more than 60 million metric tons of various types of solid waste over the past year and a half, as a growing number of garbage piles near communities were removed and long-standing pollution problems were effectively addressed.

To improve detection, the ministry has built a monitoring network that combines satellite and drone surveillance, ground inspections and public reporting. Thanks to such a network, authorities have collected more than 60,000 potential leads on illegal dumping and disposal cases, he said.

He said the ministry has put in place a closed-loop mechanism encompassing the entire process — from lead referral and supervisory follow-up, to on-site inspections and final case closure upon verification of corrective actions, ensuring that problems are fixed properly and no blind spots remain.

Li cited the cleanup of illegal dumping in karst caves as an example.

"To address the problem of illegal waste dumping in karst caves, we have urged key provincial authorities to conduct cave-by-cave inspections, set up individual problem ledgers for each cave, and implement category-based rectification measures," he said. "Over 80,000 karst caves have been inspected so far."

He added that the ministry has maintained rigorous follow-up on more than 8,000 violations identified, with more than half of them already rectified. "As a result, the natural landscapes of these karst caves are now gradually being restored," he noted.

The ministry will include the occurrence rate of illegal solid waste dumping and disposal in the 15th Five-Year Plan framework for building a Beautiful China, he said. To curb such illegal practices effectively, the ministry will apply clear, measurable indicators to tighten local accountability and expedite the creation of a standing enforcement mechanism.

He said China will also tighten whole-chain supervision of solid waste, build a more integrated information-based supervision network, improve standards and policy systems, advance the development of waste-free cities and work to keep waste piles farther from the public and more lucid water and lusher mountains closer.