June 01, 2022

China’s struggle with pandemic-related waste

topic:	Pollution
located:	China
editor:	Stella Tsang

Without a doubt, enjoying sticky rice dumplings’ sweet or savory flavors with one’s family is one of the most satisfying moments during China's Dragon Boat Festival. But right before this year’s event on 3 June, the country’s top market regulator announced a national standard on the packaging of this festive treat by limiting it from four to three layers to reduce waste and decrease costs. In this case, it is likely that besides the traditional use of bamboo leaves as the first layer, the remaining packaging (usually plastic or paper) will not be greater than two layers.

The above is a typical example of how, in recent years, China has seized every opportunity to achieve its green goal. Among a number of initiatives around waste reduction, significant ones include the country’s ban on foreign waste, and more domestically, enforcing a compulsory waste-sorting system in various cities. 

Ironically, Shanghai was the first city where obligatory sorting came into effect and was supposed to be a pioneer for the rest of the country, but now with its two-month long COVID-19 lockdown, Shanghai has been noticed for its remarkable surge in derived waste. According to state media, 3,300 tonnes of household waste were produced every day by the end of April, compared to the 73 daily tonnes in February before the lockdown took place. Some suggest that the drastic increase in food deliveries and online shopping has led to a drastic increase in packaging use. 

Meanwhile, the city’s waste related to COVID-19 prevention, such as those from hospitals and isolation facilities, has increased to 1,400 tonnes a day. Although the authorities claim that three new disposal facilities for medical waste have been created, and the capacity for waste transportation and disposal in the city is sufficient, it sounds more like a solution to address the symptoms rather than getting to the root cause of problems.

In fact, sustainability is key. There has been a heated debate over the sustainability of China's dynamic zero-COVID strategy, which resulted in harsh lockdowns, mass testing and a surge in waste. Moreover, since waste reduction and recycling requires long-term efforts to turn them into habits, it is also difficult to sustain under the pandemic emergency measures.

Perhaps besides tightening packaging rules for festive foods, the authorities should step up to ensure their green policies that were launched before the pandemic can be maintained during this challenging time.

Photo by Nick Fewings

Call to Action

Stop the global plastic pollution!

Support now