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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
HANGZHOU, February 24 (Xinhua) — In a residential complex in the Xihu District of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, resident Yuan Meirong opens the lid of a trash can and throws out bottles—the entire process takes less than 10 seconds. Afterward, a chime alert appears on her mobile phone, crediting 0.8 yuan (11.6 U.S. cents) to her account.
"This is so convenient," she says, pointing to the smart trash bin. "Now I can easily recycle boxes and bottles from parcels for a small fee. It's great."
Lovere, an online waste management company, has installed 870 of these smart waste bins in nearly 400 residential complexes in Hangzhou's Xihu District since the project's pilot launch in July 2024.
Local residents can enter a phone number or scan a QR code to recycle items such as plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, old clothing, takeout bags, and plastic food containers. The equipment automatically weighs the items and calculates the amount to be recycled based on the current rate of approximately 0.6 yuan per kilogram, which is then credited directly to the user's account.
The trash containers aren't just a convenience; they also demonstrate how technology is monetizing waste streams in Chinese cities, helping to shift people from a passive approach to active participation in circular economy processes.
Since the installation of the smart containers, the recycling sorting accuracy has reached 98.5 percent, with the average monthly recycling volume reaching 1,000 tons, said Zhang Yixiang, Lovere's representative in Hangzhou.
To date, Lovere's operations have expanded to 38 Chinese cities, where over 50,000 smart containers have been installed, recycling 2 million tons of waste and benefiting over 30 million local users.
In Hangzhou's Xihu district alone, residents used these waste bins 2.58 million times, earning a total of 4.2 million yuan in cash rewards. According to the company, the most active user collected 9 tons of waste, earning 5,400 yuan.
According to Zhang Kang, head of production at Lovere in Hangzhou, IoT technology enables sensors to be triggered when containers are full, and an automated sorting center categorizes recyclable materials into more than 80 types for further distribution to downstream businesses.
“It is expected that the business will become profitable thanks to scaling,” he noted.
The Proposals of the CPC Central Committee for the Development of the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Country's Socio-Economic Development (2026-2030) included a recommendation to promote the development of a circular economy.
On Xianyu, the leading used goods trading platform of Chinese internet giant Alibaba, an average of 7 million used goods were listed for sale daily in 2025, and the average daily trading volume increased by 30 percent compared to 2024.
“Every transaction is a way for users to participate in a green lifestyle,” said Ding Jian, the platform’s CEO.
From April 2024 to March 2025, Xianyu users contributed to a reduction of 11.8 million tons of carbon emissions through participating in transactions and recycling, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 7.4 million households, Ding Jian said.
According to the China Circular Economy Association, the circular economy accounted for about 30 percent of the country's carbon emissions reduction from 2021 to 2025, and that share is expected to rise to 35 percent by 2030.
In Hangzhou's Yuhang district, local resident Chai Yuyun praised the recycling service of Huge, whose employees picked up his old sofa and table for free within 20 minutes of placing an order on the app.
Residents simply place an order through a mobile app, and a Khuge worker will arrive within an hour to pick up, weigh, price, and pay for items such as old appliances and furniture.
"I live on a high floor, and it was difficult for me to dispose of old, bulky furniture myself. Now, with just a tap of an app icon on my smartphone, I can call these workers, and they'll pick up and remove my unwanted furniture for free. It's a real relief," said Chai Yuyun.
Hu Shaoping, deputy head of Huge Recycle, said that over the past 10 years, they have created a complete chain from collecting household waste to sorting, disassembling, and reusing resources.
The service offers clearly marked prices for used home appliances with various specifications, ensuring complete pricing transparency. Residents receive payments in the form of "eco-credits," which can be exchanged for cash or spent at the Huge Mall online store, further encouraging eco-friendly consumption. To date, the company has issued eco-credits worth nearly 500 million yuan.
Xu Lin, a professor at Zhejiang University, noted that smart technologies have made recycling and eco-friendly consumption as easy as scanning a phone. He said these small actions demonstrate how the public has shifted from being told what to do to taking initiatives in the circular economy.
“If we fully realize the potential of public participation, carbon reduction will become a social consensus and a daily habit for everyone,” Xu Lin added. -0-
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