The Waste Management System in Qingdao City: Example for Modern Chinese Waste Management

Abstract

Qingdao is an important economic center in eastern coastal China. With the rapid urbanization process, problems of municipal solid waste (MSW) management have become a new concern for the government. In Qingdao, MSW collection and transportation (MSW-CT) amounts increased from 0.81 × 10⁶ t/a in 1999 to 1.85 × 10⁶ t/a in 2015. The per capita MSW production was nearly 1.1 kg/(capita·d), higher than the Chinese average value of 0.70 kg/(capita·d). The MSW management system of Qingdao was dominated by the “Municipal Public Bureau of Qingdao.” Due to the continuous reform of the sanitation management system, an operation mechanism of separation for government and enterprise, unified management, orderly competition and a three-level management system of “City – District – Street” were established. MSW-CT mode was mainly based on the combination of “multi-way collection in early, transfer station compression in late” and “compression car direct transport.” MSW treatment was mainly located at the “XiaoJianXi Solid Waste Comprehensive Disposal plant of Qingdao,” including sanitary landfill, incineration, composting, and recycling. Qingdao was one of the earliest pilot cities of MSW source separation in China. Although some relevant achievements were achieved, many problems were also found. In the future, MSW source separation will be regarded as a key concern for government departments in Qingdao. MSW management of Qingdao had always been leading position in the Shandong Province. However, some problems cannot be ignored, such as multi-head management, inadequate market competition, and inconsistent power between supervision and law enforcement. In the future, Qingdao’s MSW management will be improved through structural reform, financial investment, and an increase in market competition and public environmental awareness. A “Qingdao model” in Chinese MSW management will be gradually established.