China Shenzhen City will award 1,000 - 300,000 yuan to individuals and organizations that classify waste effectively and efficiently.

Families, individuals, neighborhoods and companies that actively and effectively participate in the waste classification will be rewarded with cash and recognized as "active individuals" or "green neighborhoods", according to the statement. The new garbage collection program was announced by the Shenzhen Municipal Administration and Enforcement Administration on October 17.

"In order to encourage the active participation of people in waste sorting, 5,000 families, 1,000 individuals, 500 residential areas and an unlimited number of companies will be rewarded each year," know.

The bonus for families is 2,000 yuan (more than 280 USD), individuals are 1,000 yuan and residential areas amount to 300,000 yuan (more than 42,000 USD), while company directors are responsible for sorting waste. will be rewarded with 1,000 yuan. The total prize money is up to 62.5 million yuan (US $ 8.8 million) but it is unclear what the criteria for good waste classification are.

According to Shenzhen regulations, waste is classified into four categories: recyclable, toxic, perishable and others. Over the past year, the city has been promoting the program widely on public transport and residential areas as well as changing trash bins.

In other cities, violators will be fined, where companies face a fine of 1,000 - 5,000 yuan, individuals can be fined 200 yuan, but can attend training sessions or events. information instead of paying fines. Individuals who actively classify rubbish can redeem points for goods such as rice and oil.

In Shanghai, where the waste sorting program has been in place since July, volunteers are assigned to stand in front of the garbage can to guide people to dispose of rubbish properly. The price of sortable household bins has risen on e-commerce sites, while manufacturers have also developed models of smart bins to meet the needs of the people.

China generated 210 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2017, 48 million tons less than the United States, according to World Bank data. As the world's second-largest waste generator, China plans to expand the waste classification program to 46 major cities by the end of 2020 and deploy it nationwide by 2025.