Living in a big city like Beijing is fun and exciting. But every now and then, we all need a nature escape. Forest parks in the Beijing countryside are perfect for family hikes or adventurous expeditions. Unfortunately, however, it’s not uncommon to come across empty bottles and plastic wrappers littering the bushes.

Luckily, you now have the opportunity to pick that bottle and wrapper up and leave your favorite nature trails spotless, all while having a great time! Cleaning Up Beijing is the continuation of a project I initiated in Jerusalem. Over the past eight months, we’ve gathered a group of 40 participants and hosted ten cleanups, including at Xiangshan, the Great Wall, Olympic Forest Park, and more. After receiving ACAMIS funding, I wanted to take this project a step further and clean up the countryside where litter is more prevalent.

Within the city, there are professional cleaners responsible for every road and public park. However, in the countryside, forest parks are left unattended and trash often stays for years before disintegrating into nature, and much of it never actually breaks down. For non-biodegradable materials, this process severely damages wildlife, interfering with plant growth and poisoning animals.

If you’re a student who is passionate about the environment, or a family looking for a weekend getaway from the city, Cleaning Up Beijing is the perfect opportunity for you! We will stay at a village guesthouse for a weekend, and during the day, we will clean up the village and its surrounding mountains. Aside from that, however, we will eat at Nong Jia Les (local restaurants) and have a chance to explore the area. The exact date and location for our next meet-up are to be determined.

This was our trip last weekend in Changping:

To find out more, you can join our group chat by scanning the QR code below or add me on WeChat, qinglanjerusalem or 13261649331.

KEEP READING: Help! I Don’t Know How to Sort My Trash

Images: Zhen Du, Yu Guo

Is soft plastic recyclable? Do I throw my kitchen waste out with a bag or loose? Where does toilet paper go? If you’ve puzzled over any of these questions recently, you aren’t alone. 

Since May 1, Beijing households have been required to sort their household waste into four different categories: Recyclables, Kitchen waste, Other waste, and Hazardous waste, and many communities have reported shiny new color-coded bins installed in their courtyards. Yet confusion still abounds and many people are unsure about exactly how to dispose of their household waste.  

Beijing has a ways to go with sorting trash, but this new law is a step in the right direction

To get some clarity on the new system, and advice for families on how to manage it at home, I talked to Markus Dicke, the founder of German Biowaste, the first company in China to design and build biological mechanical waste treatment plants on a commercial scale. You might describe German Biowaste as an overnight success eleven years in the making. Dicke founded his company in Beijing in 2009, but business has recently taken off with the new government waste treatment policies, as demand for ecological treatment of biowaste has never been higher. Dicke is also an environmentalist and uniquely well-positioned to shed some light on this topic. 

Why is China doing this all of a sudden? 

Waste management is fundamentally an environmental issue. Better waste management means fewer greenhouse gasses, less reliance on fossil fuels, and less pollution. Furthermore, wet waste like food scraps makes up almost 60% of China’s waste but is ill-suited to either landfill (where the nutrients from the food scraps are totally lost) and incinerators (wet waste doesn’t burn well, and again, all the nutrients are lost). By separating the different kinds of waste at the source, China can create a cleaner, more energy-efficient waste management system, and that benefits everyone.“The purpose is to generate energy from waste, or to treat it so that it’s not harming the environment” as Dicke says. “With this technology, we can generate 2-3 times more energy from every tonne of waste compared to landfill or incineration.”

I’m reading a lot of contradictory information, what are the official regulations? 

This infographic– entirely in English – provided by the Beijing Municipal Government details how to sort trash correctly. 

How should I organize my bins at home?

Many families have found success with this bin on Taobao, which automatically separates into 3 categories. Of course, you don’t need to buy a special bin, but it is recommended to have clearly designated containers for the different types of trash (kitchen, recyclable, hazardous, and other.)

Scan the QR code to find this bin on Taobao

Should we put everything in garbage bags?

For ‘other’ waste, yes. For kitchen waste and recyclables, Dicke says it’s best to dispose of them loose. Ideally, you would have a reusable container for your waste which you can empty out into the bin and take back to the apartment. If this is not practical for you, he suggests collecting the waste in plastic bags, but instead of throwing them into the bin whole, just empty the items out, then discard the plastic bag into the ‘other’ waste’ bin. 

How are other parents managing waste sorting with children? 

Dicke describes children as “waste ambassadors” as once they have been educated, they are very effective at pointing out mistakes and educating the adults around them. (Think “Papa, why are you putting batteries in the recycling bin? That’s not right!”). 

However, even adults can find it tricky to sort waste correctly, so one good strategy is to designate an ‘I don’t know’ box. Whenever your child is unsure where to put an object, they put it here so you can review them together later.

If they are old enough, kids could also use the Beijing Trash Classification Reference (WeChat ID: 北京市垃圾分类宝典), a fun app that tells you how to dispose of any time you scan. For more info on that, click here.

This cute app is in Chinese only, but very easy to navigate

How can I get our ayi on board with the new system?

Many Western countries have been separating waste for decades now, but the same is not true for China. Therefore, your ayi may not be familiar with the system or the reasons behind doing it. If you sense that your ayi is unsure, explain that recycling an important value for your family and not just a weirdly elaborate game designed to make her life difficult! Keep the conversation open, and encourage her to use the ‘I don’t know’ box along with other family members.

I’m a bit confused about how my building management is sorting trash, what should I do?

If in doubt, go directly to your building management and ask for clarification. Even now, a full month since the new regulation passed, there are still many communities that have not implemented the new system, or are continuing to dump all the different bins into one big truck all the same. This can be frustrating but Dicke reminds us that a new system like this in a country as big as China “cannot be switched on from one day to another”. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but doing the right thing and forming good habits now will pay dividends in the future for both us and our children. 

KEEP READING: How to Use the Bulk House ‘Zero Waste’ Online Stores

Images: rmzxb.com.cn, Beijing Trash Classification Reference

Have the huge, stinky trash bins in your compound been replaced with neatly ordered and color-coded wheelie bins? Are you suddenly being surveilled as you take the trash out, or interrogated as to why you are putting soft plastic in with food scraps, and dead batteries? Fear not, because city-wide recycling reforms have well and truly arrived in the capital. While Haidian District officially began the rollout on May 1, we’ve noticed compounds all over the city are already enforcing the new rules.

Once completely rolled out, it will be up to households to divide their trash into four categories (or risk incurring a fine):

1. Kitchen waste: Perishable garbage generated in the household, such as organic refuse, meat and bones, and leftovers, etc.
2. Recyclables: Items that are no longer usable but can be reused after processing after recycling, such as waste paper, plastics, glass, metal, electronic waste, fabrics, etc.
3. Hazardous waste: Toxic and hazardous household substances, such as batteries, lightbulbs, paint and solvents, sanitary products, disinfectants, medicines, and camera film, etc.
4. Other waste: Household garbage that does not easily fall into the three categories above or is difficult to identify.

In addition, large waste products such as furniture and household appliances should be deposited at a designated drop-off location. Construction waste generated during renovations etc. should also be separated and deposited at an area to be specified by the local government, with the individual to bear any processing costs.

If that all sounds overwhelming, then you’ll be happy to hear that a few enterprising developers have already jumped on the opportunity to make our lives that little bit easier. One such mini-program is Beijing Trash Classification Reference (WeChat ID: 北京市垃圾分类宝典) which tells you how to correctly dispose of any item that you query. While lacking an English option, the app is easy enough to navigate for non-Chinese speakers thanks to its reliance on icons, and this also makes it a great learning tool for children. After all, to make the transition from ‘chuck it out and forget it’ to a conscientious trash shorting system, we will have to marshall the resources of the whole family! And what a better way to continue the conversation with your kids about the importance of sustainable choices and recycling.

Simply search 北京市垃圾分类宝典 in WeChat to find the mini-app.

As well as options to search by item name and voice search, the most useful function for foreigners is the nifty option to search by picture. Simply click 识别照片 and take a picture of the item you want to recycle. The program should recognize it and provide the appropriate classification.

Alternatively, kids can practice their hanzi and type in the name of the item they wish to dispose of.

If nothing else, the app makes for a fun, low-rent Chinese dictionary that you can point at objects and retrieve the Chinese characters for. Go on, test yourself.

KEEP READING: How to Talk About Recycling in Mandarin

This article originally appeared on our sister site, the Beijinger

Images: Jasmin Sessler (via Unsplash), Beijing Trash Classification Reference

When it comes to taking out the trash, our fair city is about to up the ante.

The Beijing Municipal Administration Commission recently told Tencent News that Beijing is piloting four types of garbage disposal classification, as part of new legislation on waste sorting. The newly revised regulations will not only clarify the responsibilities of government institutions but also those of us individuals.

Currently, 30 percent of the city sorts its trash accordingly, a new plastic recyclers system has even been introduced. But in 2019 officials aim to double that coverage. In the demo sorting areas that have already been established, the municipal city management committee have created several ways to divide and collect garbage, including setting up trash sorting stations; encouraging residents to participate in garbage sorting via, you guessed it, a point rewards system; collecting renewable resources and kitchen waste at fixed points; and collecting garbage at regular intervals in specific locations. Furthermore, in the future, a mobile phone app will allow residents to make an appointment for garbage collection.

Beijing has taken the lead when it comes to garbage sorting in China. Last year, more than 2,300 public institutions joined the compulsory classification team, including schools, hospitals, supermarkets, and tourist attractions. Next, Beijing aims to improve daily law enforcement inspections that will gradually cover residential quarters.

Past threatening not to collect unsorted trash, there has been no official announcement yet of how, if at all, individuals will be punished for poor recycling habits, though we can imagine it will involve the dreaded social credit system once it is finally enforced. For now, we wait to see if Beijingers can clean up their act.

READ: In 2008 Beijing Declared War on Plastic Bags… So What Happened?

Photo: rmzxb.com.cn

Let’s just set the record straight, I am NOT a Zero Waster. Nor do I claim to be. I certainly won’t judge you if you use plastic bags or straws, or order delivery food consisting of plastic containers, wrapped in plastic bags, with plastic forks and throwaway chopsticks.

Since setting my family this challenge of reducing waste, I often feel like I have failed. When I accidentally leave our stainless straws behind, or when I go into a supermarket unplanned because it was convenient and I had a spare half hour in my schedule, and realize I don’t have my reusable bags with me.

But I tell myself that I have not failed, and if you also have joined me in this journey of trying to produce less waste and felt like it’s failed, then I want to tell you that you haven’t failed, and there is every reason for us to keep going. Here is why we can’t fail:

1. Creating awareness –Are you thinking about your habits? Are you noticing your bins overflowing? Are you becoming aware every time you throw single use cutlery in the bin? Awareness is the first step to making change.

2. Changing habits – Changing habits takes You can’t expect to master a habit straight away. Choose one or two and then take the time to master them. Slow and steady will create a new lifestyle that is more sustainable and will last.

3. It is not all or nothing – there are some things we deem as too hard to change (right now, for me, it is Carrefour delivery service) but other things that are easier to change. Pick one of these. I have discovered delivery food is kind of essential in our home for times I am way too busy to cook, however, I have discovered several restaurants that deliver food in compostable cardboard boxes, paper bags and wooden utensils, and I am encouraging my husband to only use those restaurants when it is his turn to ‘cook’ (win!!). I know it’s still trash, but at least most of it is recyclable or compostable, and it’s not plastic.

4. It is a ‘journey’ and not a destination – I expect my slow and steady attempts towards ‘Zero Waste’ will take a long time, possibly years. But if I can do it, and also install an attitude of consuming less and environmental awareness in my children as they grow up, then I think we can save the planet!

Photos: Rebecca Archer