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Probably a stupid question, but is there any way to recycle (especially bottles, aluminum, etc.) in Chengdu? I remember when I was in Beijing there were usually people who would go around collecting beer bottles and such, I assume to get some sort of recycling deposit. I heard that trash collectors just dump those special “recycling only” bins in with the regular trash, but is there some place we can take bottles and whatnot? Having lived in Portland (where there are 5 separate trash bins) throwing them in the garbage just feels wrong.
Keep the bottles separate, those can definitely be recycled. I just give them to my 门卫 and they exchange them for cash, they’re grateful for all the bottles I give them. I’m sure there’s a place you can take the bottles yourself if that’s what you want to do – I’m not sure what the refund rate is, but I know some people who exchange hundreds of bottles at once and come back with some change.
Recycling in the normal sense that we think of it (organic vs plastic waste) doesn’t exist in China as far as I know, outside of trashcans on the street which are divided.
Keep the bottles separate, those can definitely be recycled. I just give them to my 门卫 and they exchange them for cash, they’re grateful for all the bottles I give them. I’m sure there’s a place you can take the bottles yourself if that’s what you want to do – I’m not sure what the refund rate is, but I know some people who exchange hundreds of bottles at once and come back with some change.
Recycling in the normal sense that we think of it (organic vs plastic waste) doesn’t exist in China as far as I know, outside of trashcans on the street which are divided.
Quote:outside of trashcans on the street which are divided……and ignored. I’ve seen divided bins with one bag/compartment inside.
Quote:outside of trashcans on the street which are divided……and ignored. I’ve seen divided bins with one bag/compartment inside.
While waiting at the bus stop, I have seen trash collectors sort through the trash and take the bottles and cans out. I am from Portland and I understand about not wanting to throw all away in one bin. But, from what I have seen, they sort later.
When we lived in Cairo we would pack our ‘organic’ waste in a separate bag from the ‘dry’ waste. That tremendously eases the work of people who sort through trash and makes it all much less dirty, and was actually something we did on the request of the ‘zabbalin’, a group of people making a living with sorting and recycling trash. They managed to recycle about 80% of the collected garbage. Perhaps we all could do the same here? If you are interested, look at this website http://www.garbagedreams.com/
@Kim: This is an awesome idea, I always feel for the migrant workers who have to do that to make a living and I’m used to separating anyways. I’ll have to check out that movie, the way what the West used to call the third world is pulling itself up is fascinating.
@Sara- Portland, yeah! I feel like I can hear my neighbors passive-aggressively clucking at my unsorted garbage.
@Charlie- I had to look up what a 门卫 was, I’ve been calling those guys at my gate a 保安. It’s amazing that they’re provided as part of the package here, especially considering what I’m paying in rent.
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