Beijing Releases Handy, Comprehensive English Guide to Recycling

原创 Tom Arnstein theBeijinger

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On May 1, Beijing officially began rolling out its long-awaited recycling plan, with a steady influx of recycling bins popping up around housing complexes, hotels, and schools, etc. Now, it's up to individuals and business owners in the city to sort their trash accordingly, lest they want to incur a fine of up to RMB 200.

Despite a lot of initial confusion when it was launched last summer, Shanghai appears to have taken to the system well, and the Beijing Municipal Government is doing its best to make sure that Beijing makes the switch flummox-free, releasing a steady stream of information about the changes. The latest is an infographic – entirely in English – detailing how to sort trash correctly. For a reminder, here are the four types of waste you'll now be expected to divide:

Recyclables (可回收物 kě huíshōu wù) - blue bins: Items that are no longer usable but can be reused after post-recycling processing, such as waste paper, plastics, glass, metal, electronic waste, fabrics, etc.
Kitchen waste (厨余垃圾 chú yú lā jī) - green bins: Perishable garbage generated in the household, such as organic refuse, meat and bones, and leftovers, etc.
Other waste (其他垃圾 qítā lā jī) - grey bins: Household garbage that does not easily fall into the three categories above or is difficult to identify.
Hazardous waste (有害垃圾 yǒuhài lā jī) - red bins: Toxic and hazardous household substances, such as batteries, lightbulbs, paint and solvents, sanitary products, disinfectants, medicines, and camera film, etc.

The infographic also clears up some of the trickier items. For example, while most regular batteries are mercury-free and therefore considered non-hazardous "other waste," lithium batteries and the like should still be put in the "hazardous waste" bins.

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