Municipal Solid Waste Management Practice in China - A Case Study in Hangzhou

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in China is facing urgent problems with rapid industrialization and urbanization. This article focused on the status of Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province, China. The regulations, policies, implementation, barriers and solutions about source separation, separate collection, clean & direct transportation, treatment and disposal were introduced. Source separation, separate collection and clean & direct transportation were seriously carried out from 2010. MSW was classified into four kinds, such as kitchen waste, hazardous waste, recyclable waste and other waste. Four kinds of wastes were collected, transported, treated and disposed, respectively. At the same time, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 2011 on 200 households in Xiasha and Gongshu Districts in Hangzhou. The results indicate that many citizens cannot effectively and correctly separated different kinds of solid wastes. Kitchen waste was directly disposed in landfill, because there is no composting plant in Hangzhou City. The collection of recoverable waste and hazardous waste was not in control of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system. In order to optimize MSWM system in Hangzhou, the government and the citizen must make efforts in source separation, comprehensive treatment system, effective regulations and policies.