Advice on the Reform to Advance Waste
Classification in China
Jiwen Chang
1 China Introduced Waste Classification Arrangements
Suitable for Its Conditions Around the Same
Development Stage as Developed Countries
Though seemingly a trivial matter in daily life, waste classification is absolutely
a must when we reach a certain stage of economic and social development. It
is necessary for environmental protection, natural resources conservation, a better
living environment, greater capacity for green and sustainable development, and selfimprovement of a civilization. Therefore, waste classification is no trivial matter for
a country or nation. Waste classification represents a consensus about how people
should live their lives in a modern ecological civilization, and an integral aspect of
building an ecological civilization in China. We must pay due attention to it. On
an inspection trip to Shanghai in November 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping
remarked that waste classification was a new fashion. He also stressed in June 2019
that waste classification was closely related to people’s living environment, it was
about using resources in a thrifty way, and it was an important measure of how
advanced a society is.
The timing of introducing mandatory waste classification is usually determined
by the overall economic and social conditions of a specific country. It won’t work
if it is introduced too early because the general public will lack the awareness and
willingness to follow the rules. It won’t do to wait till it is too late either for it will
increase the risks of severe environmental pollution and shortage of natural resources.
It is thus necessary grasp the best timing for introducing waste classification and set
waste classification goals in a phased manner according to a country’s specific stage
of development. In developed countries like the United States and some European
countries, mandatory waste classification was introduced and institutionalized at a
J. Chang (B)
Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, Development Research Center of the
State Council, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_34
355
Classification in China
Jiwen Chang
1 China Introduced Waste Classification Arrangements
Suitable for Its Conditions Around the Same
Development Stage as Developed Countries
Though seemingly a trivial matter in daily life, waste classification is absolutely
a must when we reach a certain stage of economic and social development. It
is necessary for environmental protection, natural resources conservation, a better
living environment, greater capacity for green and sustainable development, and selfimprovement of a civilization. Therefore, waste classification is no trivial matter for
a country or nation. Waste classification represents a consensus about how people
should live their lives in a modern ecological civilization, and an integral aspect of
building an ecological civilization in China. We must pay due attention to it. On
an inspection trip to Shanghai in November 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping
remarked that waste classification was a new fashion. He also stressed in June 2019
that waste classification was closely related to people’s living environment, it was
about using resources in a thrifty way, and it was an important measure of how
advanced a society is.
The timing of introducing mandatory waste classification is usually determined
by the overall economic and social conditions of a specific country. It won’t work
if it is introduced too early because the general public will lack the awareness and
willingness to follow the rules. It won’t do to wait till it is too late either for it will
increase the risks of severe environmental pollution and shortage of natural resources.
It is thus necessary grasp the best timing for introducing waste classification and set
waste classification goals in a phased manner according to a country’s specific stage
of development. In developed countries like the United States and some European
countries, mandatory waste classification was introduced and institutionalized at a
J. Chang (B)
Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, Development Research Center of the
State Council, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_34
355