Looking back at the history of garbage classification in China, as early as 2000, the former Ministry of Construction announced the first batch of eight pilot cities for household garbage classification. Household garbage is basically divided into three categories: recyclable garbage, hazardous garbage, and non recyclable garbage, which is later known as the "three classification method". However, several pilot projects have not achieved good results, which has also caused doubts among the public about whether China can implement garbage classification. The main reason for suspicion was that there were no supporting facilities for sorting and disposal in various parts of China at that time, resulting in a situation of sorting first and then mixing, which greatly dampened the enthusiasm of residents to participate in garbage sorting. In 2017, the pilot work of garbage classification made a comeback. Under the guidance of the "Implementation Plan for the Household Waste Classification System" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development, multiple cities among the 46 pilot cities for garbage classification have successively issued plans or implementation plans for local household waste classification systems. Some cities have made good progress in garbage classification work. In this pilot project for household garbage classification, it has become mainstream to divide household garbage into four categories: recyclable garbage, hazardous garbage, kitchen waste, and other garbage, known as the "four classification method".

 

Under the guidance and promotion of policies, wet waste (kitchen waste) mainly composed of organic matter has become the focus of attention in this round of waste classification work, thus giving rise to the highly concerned kitchen waste treatment plants. From the 46 pilot cities for household waste classification across the country, the models for promoting household waste classification can be basically divided into two categories. The first category, represented by cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc., follows the principle of "easy first, difficult later" to activate the demand for kitchen waste treatment by mandatory classification of units, and at the same time, initiate the construction of corresponding kitchen waste treatment facilities to match the demand for kitchen waste treatment generated by garbage classification. Then, gradually promote the comprehensive promotion of household waste classification for residents. The first reason for choosing a unit for mandatory classification of household waste is because unit waste management is easier and the punishment mechanism is simpler than that for residents. The second type, represented by cities such as Ningbo and Xiamen, comprehensively and uniformly plans the classification of household waste. At the beginning of the planning, kitchen waste disposal plants are built in advance, and the construction work is carried out simultaneously with the promotion of waste classification. In 2017, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development held two national seminars on household waste classification work, one in Ningbo and the other in Xiamen, which shows the Ministry's recognition of the models and work effects of these two cities. In addition, China has also developed a "seven point classification system" similar to Japan, Germany, and other countries, represented by Shenzhen and Suzhou for "major diversion and detailed classification". Xue Tao believes that in the future, adopting the "four part method" of dry wet separation will be the main development direction of garbage classification work.