The waste cabin at the entrance of Qifeng village in Chunhu sub-district, Fenghua district, Ningbo. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

With his electric bike loaded with worn-out fishing nets and plastic bottles collected the day before, Chen Fei set out to give new life to these discarded items.

Chen, a resident of Qifeng village in Chunhu sub-district, Fenghua district, Ningbo, began his mission early on the morning of Aug 15. Upon reaching the village entrance, he carefully deposited the items into a cabin.

"This is the most responsible disposal solution I have found for dealing with the ditched fishing gear and household containers," said Chen, as quoted by Ningbo Daily.

Spanning over 600 square meters, the cabin, ingeniously crafted from repurposed shipping containers last July, now serves as a central hub for locals to drop off items such as damaged fishing nets and buoys. In exchange for their efforts, residents earn "carbon credits", which can be exchanged for essential daily items, according to another villager, Zhou Nanhu. This innovative facility is the first of its kind at the village level within Zhejiang province.

Zhou, a frequent visitor to the cabin, has taken on the responsibility of overseeing open spaces within villagers' homes, which act as extensions of the cabin, facilitating the seamless disposal of waste.

Drawing from his extensive experience as a seasoned fisherman, Zhou estimates that in Chunhu sub-district, a single ship discards 1 to 3 metric tons of fishing nets and nearly 3,000 fish baskets annually.

Today, the cast-off materials collected in the cabin are repurposed by companies into a diverse range of more than 20 eco-friendly products, including backpacks and suitcases. Leading the charge in this sustainable revolution is Ningbo Jianfeng New Materials Co Ltd, headquartered in the Fenghua Economic Development Zone.

A company spokesperson highlighted one of the ecological benefits stemming from this initiative. "For example, a sun-protective garment made from 100-percent recycled materials can reduce carbon emissions by approximately 1,515 grams, while an electric toothbrush handle crafted from specific recycled materials can cut emissions by about 78 grams," he explained.

Thanks to the implementation of a comprehensive recycling system, Chunhu has successfully recycled and processed over 1,000 tons of relevant waste in the past year, according to official statistics.