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HAIKOU: Garbage in exchange for goods? What seems impossible now becomes a reality thanks to a recently established “waste bank” in southern China’s Hainan province.
Wang Xiaochun and her husband, tourists from northwest China’s Uygur Xinjiang Autonomous Region, experienced how the “waste bank” works at Mulan Bay in Wenchang city.
Under the direction of a staff, they removed two bags from the “bank” before heading to the beach to pick up trash.
“It is so beautiful here,” said Wang when he saw the sea and the beach. As they walked, the couple found remains of broken glass and plastic lids strewn across the sand and other types of debris, including plastic bags floating in the sea.
About half an hour later, the couple picked up two garbage bags and put them in an ATM-like “waste bank” that gave the two a “deposit book” with four stamps representing 40 points after weighing the automatically debris. The couple then exchanged the points for two bottles of water.
“The ‘waste bank’ allows tourists to protect the local environment while earning a reward with the flick of a finger,” said Wang, adding that he hopes it will be promoted across the island.
The city government began piloting the “waste bank” in Mulan Bay half a month ago. According to the rules, tourists can earn 10 points by collecting 1 kg of garbage and 60 points can be exchanged for a coconut.
“We hope that the ‘waste bank’ can encourage tourists and the public to actively participate in garbage collection and environmental protection,” said He Huanbao, deputy mayor of the city.
Although not developed, Mulan Bay is a famous tourist spot for its unique scenery. However, garbage along the coast is often criticized.
“Tourists left some of the debris, but most were brought in by ocean tides,” He said, noting that the government has cleaned the 38-kilometer-long shoreline along Mulan Bay several times recently, clearing a total of 32 tons. of garbage
In an effort to establish a long-term mechanism and mobilize public participation, the city learned from the experience of other cities and brought up the idea of the “waste bank,” trying to explore an effective way in waste management.
“It is also conducive to cultivating public awareness and environmental protection habits, facilitating the construction of a joint management system for the ecological environment,” he said.
Tang Yungu, a “waste bank” staff member, was busy serving tourists at the gift-exchange site these days. Tang and his family were lifted out of poverty in 2018 and made a living by doing odd jobs later.
Now for the “waste bank,” the Tang family earns 3,000 yuan (about 425 US dollars) per month.
“With a stable job and a salary, we no longer have to worry about our livelihood,” Tang said.
Sun Fenghua, deputy director of the Wenchang City Tourism Office, said that by employing disadvantaged people, the “bank” is also helping to alleviate local poverty. “In addition to a stable salary, they could also sell local products to earn extra money,” Sun said.
“It’s still in the pilot phase,” said the deputy mayor. “If successful, the ‘bank’ will be promoted to other picturesque bays and places in the city, and even to towns, cities and urban communities. – Xinhua / Asian News Network
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