Low-value recyclables, or mismanaged recyclables, which account for a major proportion of municipal solid waste, should be well treated and efficiently recycled to ensure the sustainable development and scientific management of cities, experts said recently at the 11th China Zero Waste Forum in Hefei, Anhui province.

Low-value recyclables, such as plastic packaging, wastepaper, waste rubber, waste wood, and food waste, are often overlooked despite their potential for recycling and reuse.

"Both the economic and environmental benefits of recycling these wastes are greater than the total costs. However, due to their low economic value and high collection cost, most of the low-value recyclables are directly incinerated and landfilled," said Yang Guang, a special research assistant at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Recycling low-value waste carries significant environmental benefits, the expert said. For instance, compared with incinerating food waste, wastepaper, and mixed plastics, recycling these materials can result in a substantial reduction of approximately 190 million tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to 133 times the annual carbon footprint of the Three Gorges hydropower stations, according to Yang.

In February, the State Council issued a document on accelerating the construction of a waste recycling system, which underscored the need to strengthen the recycling of low-value recyclables. It urged on improving the classification of solid wastes, integrating the recycling of low-value recyclables into government procurement processes, franchising of companies for the recycling of both high- and low-value materials, and implementing subsidy policies.

In response to this national initiative, Jimei district of Xiamen city in southeastern Fujian province has been exploring ways to construct a sound recycling system by encouraging cooperation among the government, community and residents, Ye Zhilong, researcher at the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences said.

The local government has established a comprehensive catalog of low-value recyclables and outlined clear classification standards. The community has actively engaged in awareness campaigns and educational initiatives to enhance residents' understanding of environmental issues. Through these efforts, residents have gained knowledge about waste classification and have been recognized with environmental awards for their participation in recycling activities.

According to data from the Institute of Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jimei district successfully reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 2,450 tons in 2023 through the effective classification of 1,469 tons of low-value recyclables.

Enterprises have also been pioneering the way to unlock the potential of various stakeholders and innovate approaches to recycling low-value recyclables.

Niu Haiyan, head of the sustainable development project of All Things Renew Group, a company committed to recycling electronics, introduced the company's development of intelligent recycling machines that can automatically recognize faces, collect data by scanning codes, and automatically weigh, compress, and seal the recyclables.

"From collecting to transporting, sorting and storing the wastes, the whole process is self-operated and can be controlled, traced and supervised throughout," Niu said.

Xu Nuo contributed to this story.