Ningbo unveils action plan to tackle plastic waste

A resident operates a smart garbage recycling machine in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province recently rolled out an action plan to build itself into a provincial "waste-free" city.

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. 

According to the newly released plan, Ningbo aims to increase the comprehensive utilization rate of general industrial solid waste to more than 99 percent, raise the safe disposal rate of hazardous waste to 100 percent, while reducing the landfill rate to less than 5 percent by 2025.

By then, the utilization level of recyclable building materials in the city is targeted to exceed 15 percent.

Official data show that Ningbo is currently home to over 2,300 entities of various types that are involved in renewable resource recycling.

Authorities have the set goal of lifting the precision rate of garbage sorting to 90 percent by 2025, according to the plan.