Guangzhou, the economic powerhouse of south China, is improving its garbage problem with new recycling centers and disposal measures.

With a population surpassing 10 million, the city produces some 5,500 tons of urban refuse everyday. The figure is increasing at arate of 6 percent on a yearly basis.

To solve the increasingly severe garbage problem, the city has invested a total of 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in building a modern refuse recycling center in the suburbs. The French-made system can dispose of 300 tons of solid waste everyday.

Random littering seriously pollutes the air, rivers, lakes and underground water. To deal with this problem, household garbage is now collected and then compressed for landfills or for incinerating. So far, 40 percent of refuse in the city is disposed of, and the city intends to achieve complete disposal.

Meanwhile, the local government is encouraging cooperation between the environmental sanitary department and scientific institutions for the development of advanced refuse disposal equipment. So far, a batch of advanced technology and equipment, such as airtight compressors and overwater refuse dredging boats, have been developed and used widely.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2002)