The authorities are considering tougher measures for managing domestic garbage amid doubts over the effectiveness of "green account" incentives put in place to encourage city residents to sort their waste.
Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau is cooperating with the city's legislative body on the preparation of draft regulations to strengthen domestic garbage management, according to the bureau's response to a proposal by a legislative deputy.
Coercive measures, including fines and waste fees, are being considered, officials said, adding that the preparation work is still in the initial stages.
As of the end of 2015, the "green account" scheme covered 1.05 million households in the city. Green account holders earn points by dumping dry and wet garbage into different bins. They can redeem the points for milk, cellphone cards and tickets to tourist attractions, or use them to pay their utility bills.
A further 1 million households will be added to the green account scheme this year in an effort to encourage more people to participate.
However, a general lack of public awareness and interest is still hindering the expansion of the scheme.
"Some residents are not keen because they think it is too much trouble," said Yan Rukou, a volunteer helping residents sort garbage at a residential complex in Jing'an District.
Dissatisfaction with the green points system is a possible reason, Yan said.
Ten points are awarded to residents each time they sort their garbage, and they can earn up to 20 points per day.
Residents must carry their green account cards when dumping their garbage and Internet problems can mean they are not issued the points they are owed, said Yan.
Dai Xingyi, a professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University, suggested imposing fees on residential communities that fail to sort their garbage properly.
"The aim is not to charge fees, but to raise their awareness of the importance of sorting garbage," he said.
