MILAN – A new recycling drive comes from China. The government has actually announced that by the end of 2016 over 1500 recycling machines will be installed in Shanghai. The first machines have already been put in place in the Changning District and in the new area of Pudong. Others will appear over the coming months inside metro stations, shopping centres and other public places, with the aim of reaching the agreed number of 1,500 machines.
Benefits for everyone
In Shanghai, anyone who makes a deposit in the recycling machines will be paid between 0.05 and 0.15 yuan per deposited bottle. Instructions for understanding how to use the machines will be available in Chinese and English. Incom Recycle, the firm that manages these machines, said the concept has been tested in Beijing since the end of 2012, and so far 1,965 are already in operation and have recycled about 17 million bottles. These materials will follow a very precise procedure: firstly, they will be transported to sorting centres. They will then be transported to certified processing plants to be turned into granules, before being sold to bottled beverage producers. Labels and caps can also be recycled and made into various kinds of plastic products. Incom has confirmed that special machines for primary and secondary schools have also been designed.
Regulating separate waste collection
Zhang Yi, a professor at the Shanghai Environmental Sanitary Engineering Design Institute, said he is in favour of the distribution of the new machines as they will help to regulate the collection and processing of plastic materials. Yi explains: “Waste recycling should follow a standard procedure. Improper waste handling can lead to further pollution of the environment.
by editorial staff
