Beijing to implement city-wide mandatory household garbage sorting

Beijing will enforce a city-wide mandatory household garbage sorting system starting in May in a move to strengthen urban governance and prevent pollution.

Units and individuals are required to sort garbage into four categories -- kitchen waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and other waste, according to a draft amendment to Beijing's household garbage management regulations.

Individuals who fail to sort garbage and decline to rectify their behavior can be fined 50 yuan (about 7 U.S. dollars) to 200 yuan.

The new rule was passed Wednesday at a session of the Standing Committee of the 15th Beijing Municipal People's Congress after it solicited opinions from 12,000 lawmakers and over 240,000 residents in August.