Under a new trash-collection scheme in the capital， residents will soon be paying for what they throw out. The plan is part of efforts to make the city more environment friendly.
A trial will start next year and will involve a few communities, the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission, or BMAC, said.
Those taking part in the trial will be required to pay fixed prices for a fixed amount of garbage. They will pay more if they throw out additional trash.
Details of the new system are still under discussion.
Currently, local and migrant households in Beijing are charged fixed monthly garbage fees of 3 yuan and 2 yuan, respectively. Families that produce little waste pay as much as those who always fill, or overflow, the trash can.
BMAC deputy director is Chen Ling. He said in a recent interview that his agency will assist the National Reform and Development Commission, or NDRC, and other relevant departments in drafting standards for specific charges before the Olympics next August.
A source with the BMAC's city appearance and environmental sanitation division added that local property management companies should be in charge of these operations.
The BMAC also plans to set up renewable resource recycling spots in the pilot communities to reduce waste generation.
The goal of the pay-as-you-throw system is to encourage trash sorting and recycling. Chen also said that "residents' garbage fees are not expected to vary much."
Beijing has 17 garbage disposal facilities, capable of disposing only 10,350 tons of the 16,000 tons of waste generated each day, the BMAC estimated.
While eight such facilities were recently shut down, the total daily trash is expected to rise to 18,000 tons within three years.
To deal with this, the city will construct and renovate 15 waste disposal plants in the next two to three years.
Chen said Beijing will also stop burying its garbage.
The city currently buries or stockpiles 90 percent of its total waste, taking up massive areas of farmland and severely polluting their surroundings with foul odors and the like, he said.
Questions:
1.Currently, how much are the fixed monthly garbage fees for local households in Beijing?
2.How many garbage disposal facilities are there in Beijing?
3.In Beijing, the total daily trash is expected to rise to how much in three years?
4.What percentage of waste in Beijing is stockpiles or buried?
Answers:
1.3 yuan.
2.17.
3.18,000 tons.
4.90 percent.
（英語點津 Celene 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
