If each of us makes a little more effort to sort out our garbage, there will be less waste and more recycled items with better quality. Liu Xiangrui digs deep into the trash heap.

While most people casually throw sales slips and little paper wrappers away, Chen Liwen feels disheartened when she sees such acts.

"Small paper pieces are easily neglected. But they make a big difference when you add them up," explains Chen, 30, who works for an environmental NGO in Beijing. "If you ask recyclers, they will tell you the pieces of paper can be recycled as long as they are clean."