The Beijing municipal government requires its people to classify the garbage before collecting it in order for it to be recycled properly.

Starting Wednesday, all the paper garbage must be sorted otherwise environmental organizations can refuse to deliver them, as explained by an official with the government. The classification of garbage will also include plastic trash and old batteries later this year.

Waste paper that can be sorted includes duplicating paper, envelopes, newspapers, wrapping paper and so on, said the official, and all schools, institutes, and companies should appoint a special staff member to take care of the classification and collection work.

Chinese people are quite familiar with recycled paper, many of which have now used to make name cards for governmental officials and textbooks for students.

The Beijing city produces around 1.1 million tons of waste paper annually and less than 10 percent of it is recycled. To sort the different kinds of waste paper by its type is believed by experts to be helpful for recycling them again.

China's yearly paper consumption hits about 35 million tons and at least one-third of them can be recycled.
(Xinhua 11/02/2000)