Tonglu makes strides in solid waste reduction

Tonglu county in East China's Zhejiang province has made strides in the construction of a "waste-free" city.

A digital supervision system has been launched in Tonglu, through which local officials can monitor the disposal of solid waste by more than 500 enterprises.

Every year, the system can dispose 241,000 and 18,250 metric tons of hazardous waste and perishable garbage respectively.

In addition, the local government has made great efforts in the recycling of waste in sectors including medical care, agriculture and express delivery.

All medical waste produced in the county is now being handled in a safe manner. Authorities have also increased the recycling rate of agricultural film and pesticide packaging to 90 percent and 100 percent respectively.

Tonglu is also the first county in the nation to set up an inspection and testing center for express packaging. 

A "waste-free" city is an advanced urban management concept aimed at minimizing the production of solid waste, as well as improving the recycling and safe disposal of waste in the city.

Zhejiang has vowed that all prefecture-level cities, as well as half of all the counties and county-level cities in the province, will become "waste-free cities" by the end of 2023.