Shanghai to punish refuseniks as China orders citizens to separate their rubbish
- Fines beckon for individuals and companies who ignore new rules in citywide scheme spearheading national effort
- Residents express confusion over the four types of household waste
Over the past month, perhaps the most common question among Shanghai residents has been: “Which is the right bin for my rubbish?”
Slogans, posters and tips about the city’s new garbage sorting rules are everywhere, from office buildings, schools and kindergartens to residential communities, parks and shopping malls. The campaign’s messages have circulated widely on social media to make people aware that putting waste in the wrong bin would have consequences after the gradual introduction of the rules from May onwards.
But many Shanghainese are struggling to throw the right things in the right places as they are forced to abandon old habits and embrace new ones – which some feel is complicated or involves needless effort.
The city announced its household waste management rules at the beginning of this year, saying it would introduce compulsory garbage sorting, with fines for those who failed to comply.
Companies and organisations flouting the new rules stood to be fined 50,000-500,000 yuan (US$7,000-70,000), while individual offenders risked a fine of 50-200 yuan (US$7-29).