SOURCE Global Times

BEIJING, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "Beijing Besieged by Waste," a documentary released in 2012 by Chinese filmmaker Wang Jiuliang, captured a staggering scene in which the capital was encircled by mountains of trash. Yet, this shocking image now seems like a thing of the past. The piles of waste have quietly disappeared from public view, leaving many to wonder: where has all the trash gone?

Recently, a topic with hashtag "China's waste is running out" has been trending on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. The "thirsty incinerators" have sparked heated debate on social media, with reports claiming that waste incineration plants in China are scrambling for garbage, even seeking it overseas, according to a report published by China News Service.

Behind this shift is China's advanced technology and innovative method to turn waste into clean energy. The rapid development of waste-to-energy incineration has been key role in addressing the long-standing "garbage siege" problem in China. As of October 2024, the number of incineration plants in the country has reached 1,010, nearly half of the global total, according to the China News Service report.

Mushrooming plants

"Now, what we're worried about is that there's not enough garbage to burn!" Ma Kejun, a manager at Beikong Environmental Technology Development in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, told the Global Times. He explained that while his company is designed to process 3,000 tons per day, it typically receives only around 2,000 tons, meaning only three of four incinerators run year-round.

Ma's plant reflects a broader trend: China has built over 1,000 large-scale incineration facilities over recent years, with a combined daily capacity of more than 1.1 million tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported in May.

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued a report in June, which cited preliminary calculations as saying that the total amount of urban domestic waste collected in 2024 reached 262.37 million tons, with a harmless treatment capacity of 1.1555 million tons per day.

China's waste incinerators are running below capacity, with an average load rate of just 60 percent, with 40 percent of the capacity remaining idle, according to the Science and Technology Daily.

Not only is the number of waste incineration plants in China growing rapidly, but those company's capacity of processing waste in a greener way and in technology innovation is also improving significantly.

According to Ma, his company's key breakthrough lies in automation. "Our self-developed automated combustion control system can adjust the grate speed and airflow based on the composition of the waste, ensuring thermal efficiency remains above 85 percent," he said, adding that this system enables the company to generate an additional 15 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, equivalent to saving 1,220 tons of standard coal.

China's breakthrough in waste incineration technology began over two decades ago. In 2004, a company in Southwest China's Chongqing successfully developed the first domestically-produced waste incinerator. In 2005, a waste incineration plant in Chongqing began operations, breaking the dependence on imported core equipment.

The pollutant emission concentrations, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, from burning waste has long concerned the public. In 2016, the MEE implemented a regulatory framework for supervising those plants. The framework included requirements for the installation of pollution source monitoring devices, the display of pollution emission data in prominent locations, and the integration of plant monitoring systems with environmental authorities. The move aimed to enhance transparency and public oversight, according to a report from thepaper.cn.

On January 1, 2020, the ministry launched a platform, giving the public access to real-time data on pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, as well as incinerator temperatures linked to dioxin formation for any waste incineration plant across the country.

Average emissions from 356 waste-to-energy incineration projects in China have met or exceeded EU standards released in 2010, China Environment News, a media affiliated with MEE, reported last year.

Going global

Nearly half of China's waste incineration projects have pollutant emission control levels that are world-leading, according to the All-China Environment Federation.

"We are working with companies to promote Chinese standards globally, showcasing the advantages of China's waste incineration solutions and highlighting the country's technological strength," Guo Yungao, an official from the federation, was quoted by the Science and Technology Daily as saying.

As of the end of May 2025, Chinese companies had taken part in 79 overseas waste incineration projects (including signed agreements), with projects spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South America, and North America.

China Everbright Environment Group, a Chinese environmental company, has an overseas business presence in 16 countries, including Vietnam, Poland, Uzbekistan, and Germany. Its business spans multiple sectors, including waste-to-energy and solid waste treatment, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

One example is a waste-to-energy project developed and invested by the company in the Vietnamese city of Hue. The facility can process approximately 220,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually and generate around 80 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year. According to the company, the plant's emissions meet all national environmental standards in Vietnam, ensuring ultra-low levels of pollution.

In addition, the company's self-developed environmental equipment has been exported to several countries, including Ethiopia, India, Uzbekistan, and Thailand.

Many countries still face challenges such as dealing with mounting waste. In this context, the global expansion of Chinese companies can help these nations accelerate their green transitions, Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times.

Ma noted that this also reflects China's sense of international responsibility as a major country – while working toward its own goals of building a "Beautiful China" and achieving its dual carbon targets, it is also assisting other nations in addressing their environmental challenges.

Ma said that from "being besieged by waste" to having "no waste to burn," China has chosen to turn environmental problems into industrial opportunities through concrete action – delivering a powerful response to doubts and criticism in certain foreign countries about its environmental protection efforts.

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