Summary

About 9,000 blue metal waste textile recycling bins have been placed in Zhengzhou's five urban districts (Jinshui, Guancheng, Erqi, Zhongyuan, and Huiji), averaging 0.8 to 1 bin per residential community and achieving near-full coverage. Based on an estimated 0.025 tons collected per bin per day, the bins in the five districts can collect about 225 tons of waste textiles daily—including old clothes, old quilts, and old shoes—equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 tons. After waste textiles are sorted at refuse sorting centers, those in relatively good condition are cleaned, disinfected, and donated for reuse, while those no longer wearable are compressed and baled as raw materials for downstream manufacturers to decompose and utilize.

Key Points

  • More than ten companies in Zhengzhou have placed waste textile recycling bins, with about 9,000 bins in the five urban districts, basically covering all residential communities.
  • One placement company put 120 recycling bins in some communities in Jinshui, Huiji, and Erqi Districts, collecting about 3 tons of waste textiles per day on average.
  • Every 1 kilogram of waste textiles utilized can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.6 kilograms; based on this, 225 tons collected corresponds to a reduction of about 810 tons.

Recycling bins are the "front line" of the chain, while sorting centers handle the later stages

Waste textiles are classified as recyclables in household waste in China. According to estimates, the country generates about 20 million tons of waste textiles each year. Reporters from Dahe Daily · Yuvideo visited household waste sorting centers in Huiji, Erqi, and Guancheng Districts of Zhengzhou, all of which have dedicated workshops for processing waste textiles.

At the sorting centers, the incoming waste textiles are first sorted: clothing that can still be worn is picked out, cleaned, disinfected, and ironed until it looks as good as new, then used for donations and other forms of reuse; waste textiles that can no longer maintain their original form are compressed and baled, with the large bales waiting for downstream manufacturers to decompose and reuse them. Sorting staff explained that discarded textiles generally fall into two categories—old textiles are mostly old clothing and home textile products discarded by residents, which can maintain their original form and have their service life extended; waste textiles cannot maintain their original form and can only be used as raw materials.

Wearing clothes before discarding them is not enough; the difficulties lie at both ends

The drop-off stage on the residents' side is the starting point of the entire recycling chain. Residents put old clothes, old quilts, and old shoes they no longer use into the recycling bins, after which dedicated personnel collect, transport, and deliver them to sorting centers. Reporters conducted on-site visits in multiple communities in Guancheng, Erqi, Jinshui, and Zhongyuan Districts, and saw that recycling bins are mostly placed downstairs in residential buildings and near community entrances. One community in Zhongyuan District has recycling bins near three gates and downstairs from residential buildings in the central area.

Whoever places them manages them, but damaged bins remain a problem

During the visits, reporters found that some recycling bins had graffiti and small rental advertisements, and some had deformed bodies or cracked welds on the drop-off opening baffles. Staff from one placement company said that, following the principle of "whoever places them manages them," they carry out routine maintenance during collection; once a bin is found to be damaged and no longer usable, it is transported back for repair. The company has also repeatedly called on residents to help maintain the bins, but with limited effect.

According to Article 14 of the newly revised and implemented Measures for the Administration of Urban Household Waste Classification in Henan Province, no unit or individual may damage or obstruct the normal operation of urban household waste classification facilities; violators shall be ordered by the competent urban household waste department to stop the illegal act and make corrections within a time limit, and those who refuse to correct shall be fined between 3,000 yuan and 30,000 yuan. On March 2, reporters called the Zhengzhou urban management department and learned that waste textile recycling bins fall within the scope of household waste classification facilities, because waste textiles are household waste.

Reporters also learned that during the construction of waste classification facilities and the renovation of old residential communities, various districts and subdistrict offices in Zhengzhou still occasionally add waste textile recycling bins through bidding, and the number placed continues to increase. (Source: Dahe Daily · Yuvideo, reporter Li Shuai, intern Yin Qing)

Source: Do you know how many old clothes this blue metal bin in your community can recycle and reuse every day? · Originally published on 2022-03-03