Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group held an open house earlier this month to show o9 its domestic waste treatment plant in the city's Daxing district and educate residents interested in learning more about recycling resources.

Capable of treating 1,000 metric tons of residential waste on a daily basis, the environmental group's plant boasts a friendly environment and modern facilities. It now serves Dongcheng, Xicheng and Daxing districts.

After automatic sorting powered by wind, rollers and magnets, the combined waste is divided into combustible materials, which can be burned to generate power; organic materials, which will be processed into fertilizer; and renewable resources, such as those used metal and plastics.

Since the garbage treatment plant began to generate power and link with the local grid about a year ago, it has treated more than 420,000 tons of residential waste and contributed some 120 million kilowatt-hours.

With state-of-the-art facilities and real-time data updates, "our central control center is in operation 24 hours a day", Yuan Manchang, deputy general manager of the plant, told China News Service.

One resident said the visit changed his stereotyped views on garbage treatment, the news agency reported.

Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group processes nearly 60 percent of the city's residential waste, according to the company.

The company said it has improved its infrastructure and technologies to ensure the eco-friendly treatment and recycled use of renewable resources.

Last year, the Beijing government issued an action plan to advance domestic waste sorting through 2020. In 2017, the government started an environmental program to identify model areas for their success in the practice of waste sorting. The program involved 527 residential communities last year.

This year, 84 model zones will be designated, local officials said.

Waste sorting covers the entire process, ranging from garbage disposal and collection to transportation and treatment.

Waste needs to be sorted by types, such as leftovers, building rubbish, recycled resources and hazardous waste, and thus be treated differently, experts said.

The authorities have held training to increase locals' awareness and cooperated with property managers and other professional teams to promote waste sorting.

The environmental campaign has expanded into rural areas.

The Beijing government has encouraged 20 villages to transform themselves into rural waste sorting models.

On the outskirts of Beijing, Mentougou, Huairou and Yanqing districts are working to become models for domestic waste sorting and resources recycling in rural areas.

Beijing's practice has won wide acclaim. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has called on other regions to follow Beijing's lead.

A control center at Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group monitors waste disposal in the city. Provided to China Daily

(China Daily 06/29/2018 page24)