Hangzhou, Sanya, and Suzhou are selected for the United Nations "Cities Towards Zero Waste" list

On the 27th, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Zero Waste Advisory Board released the first list of cities selected for the global initiative “20 Cities Moving Toward Zero Waste.” The announcement commended the efforts made by the selected cities in reducing waste, advancing the circular economy, and building more sustainable and inclusive urban systems. Three Chinese cities—Hangzhou, Sanya, and Suzhou—were selected. In its introduction of the selected cities, the UN Secretary-General’s Zero Waste Advisory Board said that Hangzhou uses digital technology to improve the sorting and resource utilization of municipal solid waste, implements innovative recycling models for low-value recyclable materials, and promotes green lifestyles by spreading the idea of a zero-waste city. Sanya, through the construction of a “zero-waste city,” has systematically integrated the zero-waste model, rolling out measures such as a “plastic restriction” (ban on plastic bags), waste sorting, and large-scale beach cleanup activities to cope with seasonal tourism peaks, while protecting marine and coastal ecosystems to achieve sustainable development. Suzhou, across both urban and rural areas within the city, has achieved full coverage of systems for the collection, transport, and treatment of municipal solid waste, successfully meeting the enormous challenges posed by the large volumes of municipal solid waste managed each year. (Xinhua)