Temporal and spatial characteristics of municipal solid waste generation and treatment in China from 1979 to 2016

Abstract

© 2018, Editorial Board of China Environmental Science. All right reserved. With the social and economic development since China's economic reform back in late 1970s, the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in China's urban areas is remarkably increasing along with the rising of living standards of Chinese residents. The proper management of MSW is one of the most important environmental issues faced by all levels of Chinese government. This study collected data of waste generation and treatment between 1979 and 2016 from government statistics and literature, analysed the evolution of temporal and spatial characteristics of MSW discharge and treatment in urban China, and established a national and regional MSW composition inventory. The results showed: (1) the MSW generation in urban China increased significantly to 204 million metric tons in 2016, and the main component was food waste. The national safe treatment rate for urban MSW had reached 96.6% with a transition to use combustion as primary treatment method instead of landfilling. (2) Temporal and spatial differences existed among different regions of China in urban MSW generations, growth rates of generation, MSW composition, safe treatment rates and capacity. Given varied local conditions, governments at different regions need to make effort to raise the levels of MSW reduction and utilization and make up for the safe treatment gap by following the national waste management plan.