Shanghai Recycles 98% of Industrial Waste

Why this is here: CSMET uses 130,000 tons of aluminum scraps and recycled items each year, preventing an estimated 36 million tons of CO2 and its equivalents.

Shanghai officials report 98% of industrial waste now gets recycled after implementing a waste management plan in 2019. The city, home to 25 million people, began intensive efforts to reduce solid waste six years ago, initially processing about 26,000 metric tons daily. CSMET, a materials enterprise in Jinshan district, combines aluminum waste from factories and households to create new aluminum products, preventing roughly 36 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Household recycling rates have increased by 10%, reaching 35 to 45% as residents adapt to sorting waste into four categories. Pilot composting programs in districts like Hongkou turn 220 pounds of organic waste into fertilizer daily. Authorities enforced new rules with increased fines for improper sorting and uncollected trash.

While household rates lag behind some European cities, logistical challenges in a city more than three times the size of Houston are significant. The long-term success of these programs depends on continued investment and adaptation to evolving waste streams.