A member of staff from the management group of the smart recycling stations helps a boy deposit waste. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Over 800 smart garbage recycling stations covering over 600 communities had been installed in Ningbo by the end of July, thanks to its efforts to build an intelligent resources recycling system, local officials said.

The smart stations can collect nearly 300 metric tons of waste each month, according to the management companies operating them.

Users scan the QR code of a smart recycling station, and then deposit their household waste – including glass, paper, plastic and fabric – in return for a small payment.

The system powering the smart stations is equipped with various modern technologies, including intelligent logistics, the internet of vehicles, internet of things and big data.

Officials said the system can monitor the levels of waste in the stations and dispatch trucks to collect refuse. If the level of waste at a station reaches over 80 percent of its capacity, a nearby garbage truck will be dispatched to the station and collect rubbish within 15 minutes.

Ningbo's mode of intelligent resource recycling, which is advanced in the resource recycling industry, is worth promoting, according to Tang Yanju, deputy secretary of the China Resource Recycling Association.

The management companies plan to increase the number of the smart recycling stations to 3,800 by the end of 2021, in order to cover the whole city, said a staff member of the companies.