One Man’s Trash:  China’s Growing Waste Problem

No nation has witnessed a growth in waste at the rate that China has seen in the past two decades. Industrialisation and an urban population explosion have propelled China to overtake the USA in waste generation in 2004. Urban areas alone generate 1.5 billion tons annually or 1kg per capita daily.

China’s Waste Management systems have failed to develop to manage the increasing amounts of waste. The domestic industry does not have the necessary infrastructures or expertise in efficient collection, treatment, disposal of waste nor designing and operating facilities.