Liuchang town becomes a model for garbage sorting

These days it's said that Liuchang town, in Xifeng county – administered by Guiyang city, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province – is putting in a dazzling performance when it comes to the important question of properly and efficiently sorting its own waste.

Moreover, the local government has won the hearts and minds of the population to change their mindsets and adapt to a more sustainable way of life.

"Villagers were not used to the garbage sorting measures when they were first carried out, but now most of us support the move," said a resident from Dashuijing village.

She recalled the not-too-distant past, when all kinds of refuse was piled up into single garbage cans, with sewage flowing and flies and mosquitoes flying around the waste receptacle. Now there are four categories of refuse bins available at every town garbage site.

The about-face is said to be due to the town government's efforts since January this year, when a special work plan on waste control was issued.

It proposed that the garbage be classified by households, collected by villages, transferred by towns and processed by counties. Moreover, it sought to ensure garbage cleaning and transportation capabilities, especially in key areas – such as government unit offices, farm produce markets and highways.

"Garbage sorting is a good-for-all program: we need to rely on people and mobilize their power to raise living conditions," said Yu Lianjian, head of the town.

Moving forwards, it is projected that the town's household garbage volumes will be reduced by 60 percent by the end of 2022.