For China’s zero-waste campaigners, overconsumption means it’s time for the last single-use straw

With estimates that China will produce as much as 500 million tonnes of rubbish annually by 2030, there are growing signs of resistance to consumer culture

Schemes like Shanghai’s waste separation programme are becoming mainstream and reviving ideas that older generations of Chinese may find familiar

Reading Time:3 minutes

Beijing couple Carrie Yu and Joe Harvey, founders of zero-waste shop The Bulk House, with jars containing all of their personal waste collected over three months. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:01pm, 21 Jan 2020Updated: 2:49pm, 17 Feb 2020

Parcels piled high at sorting centres and drivers speeding down bike lanes to deliver takeaway lunches are common sights in urban China, where e-commerce and delivery apps have taken over everyday life.

But the growing embrace of consumerism is generating mountains of waste – China will produce as much as 500 million tonnes annually by 2030, the World Bank warned, up from 30 million tonnes in 1980.

There are signs of resistance to the convenience culture: this week the government announced plans to ban plastic bags in major cities and single-use straws from restaurants by the end of the year.

Zero-waste campaigners are also grabbing public attention by trying to spread the message of thoughtful consumption.

“Everything is wrapped with plastic, because that’s convenient, but actually the cost of convenience is tremendous,” said Beijing resident Carrie Yu, who has lived the “zero-waste” way since 2016.

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