Hangzhou named one of world's top 20 zero-waste cities

Hangzhou has been named one of the world's top 20 zero-waste cities, according to a recent notification from the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste, marking another major milestone in terms of international recognition for the city's solid-waste governance following its Zero-Waste Asian Games practices.

Hangzhou's experience will be released as a global reference case during official International Day of Zero Waste events on March 30 in New York and Nairobi.

Despite a population of over 12.6 million and an economy exceeding 2 trillion yuan ($286.37 billion), Hangzhou has achieved a historic turnaround in waste reduction.

The city maintains an industrial solid-waste utilization rate above 98 percent, keeps hazardous-waste landfill rates below 3.5 percent, and managed to reduce per-capita household waste from 1.06 kilograms per day in 2021 to 0.99 kg in 2024. By the end of 2020, Hangzhou became the first major Chinese city to achieve zero landfills with household waste.

The citywide smart waste-management platform allows for the real-time monitoring of thousands of collection points, vehicles, and treatment facilities. [Photo/WeChat account: hzfbwx]

Digital governance underpins this progress. A citywide smart waste-management platform enables the real-time monitoring of thousands of collection points, vehicles, and treatment facilities. Innovative public-participation models — such as on-demand recycling services and school-based carton recycling — have made waste sorting both convenient and rewarding. Meanwhile, more than 3,200 zero-waste cells, including communities, schools, malls, and enterprises, have embedded the concept into everyday urban life.

Hangzhou's zero-waste journey, tested and refined during the 2023 Asian Games, is now moving from local practice to global reference.

Hangzhou's zero-waste efforts during the 2023 Asian Games are highlighted. [Photo/WeChat account: hzfbwx]