A review on municipal solid waste classification in China: development status, problems and countermeasures

Promoting municipal solid waste classified collection and resource utilization helps to facilitate the development of resource-saving and environment-friendly society. This paper reviews the development of China's municipal solid waste classification, collects the endeavours done by national and local authorities in the promotion, and extracts obstacles and bottlenecks during the process and countermeasures. This paper concludes that China's municipal solid waste classification has undergone three stages identified as begining (1990s), pilot exploration (2000~2015) and rapid development (2016 to now). At present, a highly operative waste classification method, propaganda way fused with Internet+, practical regulations and a progressively improved circulation chain (classified collection - classified transportation - classified treatment) are gradually adopted by national and local authorities to promote municipal solid waste classification. Even the classification of municipal solid waste is gradually progressing towards marketization. China will embark on a feasible, reproducible and promotional model of municipal solid waste classification. In the future, it is of great significance to rapidly promote the municipal solid waste classification in China by strengthening public participation and responsibility to recover, introducing more specific and highly operative implementation plans, emphasizing the classification education of school children, and making full use of domestic scavengers. © 2018, Editorial Board of China Environmental Science. All right reserved.