Used cardboard boxes, old clothes, shipping boxes, broken appliances… It’s a shame to throw them away, but keeping them takes up space—so what’s the best way to handle them? Recently, Taiyuan’s first recycling station officially began operations. The station aims to fully integrate the “household waste network” with the “recycling network,” allowing residents to “cash in” on their recyclables right at their “doorstep.”

On January 4, a reporter from the Shanxi Evening News visited the Recycling Station located on South Jianshe Road in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, for an on-site report.

Adopting the “Collect and Sort Daily” Model to Ensure Timely Collection and Processing of Recyclables

“Here’s the breakdown: 5 jin and 1 liang of paper scraps at a recycling rate of 0.55 yuan—that comes to 2.8 yuan total. If everything looks good, I’ll transfer the money to you right away! By the way, this item isn’t classified as cardboard—it’s categorized as books, so the price is a bit lower. You can check our recycling price list…”

At around 10:00 a.m. on the 4th, the area surrounding the recycling station located at the intersection of South Jianshe Road and North Dicun Street in Xiaodian District was crowded with residents carrying various types of recyclables. At the station’s entrance, two staff members in uniform were carefully sorting and weighing the recyclables brought in by residents waiting in line.

The reporter looked around the recycling station. Although its main area is less than 50 square meters, it is fully equipped with facilities. Most importantly, it manages to “collect recyclables without making them visible.” According to a representative from the Xiaodian District Sanitation Center in Taiyuan, this recycling station was built and is operated by the Taiyuan Branch of Zhongxin Hang (Shenzhen) Industrial Environment Group Co., Ltd., under the overall planning guidance of the Xiaodian District Sanitation Center. It features separate recycling bins for different categories of recyclables and operates on a “daily collection and daily clearance” model to ensure that recyclables at the station are collected and processed promptly.

“These sorted recyclables will be sent to different ‘next stops’ depending on their category. After undergoing meticulous sorting at the comprehensive recycling sorting and distribution center, the recyclables are transported to various end-processing plants to maximize their recycling value,” explained a relevant official.

Conserving Resources and Reducing Environmental Pollution: Recycling Stations Are Very Popular

What kinds of waste items qualify as reusable recyclable resources? Chen Junyi, a recycler and service station staff member at the Taiyuan Branch of Zhongxin Hang (Shenzhen) Industrial Environment Group Co., Ltd., explains that “recyclable resources” refer to various types of waste generated during production and daily life that can regain their use value after being collected, processed, and treated. “These resources include items commonly found in households, such as cardboard, plastic bottles, and students’ textbooks, as well as—but not limited to—metal and non-metal scrap, waste liquids, scrapped equipment and vehicles, and other discarded materials. The recycling and reuse of these renewable resources not only conserves resources but also reduces environmental pollution, thereby yielding significant economic and environmental benefits. ” Chen Junyi explained.

Since it began full-scale operations, the recycling center has been well-received by local residents. Mr. Niu, a nearby resident, said that ever since the center opened “right on his doorstep,” he has frequently brought in various unwanted items from his home for recycling because it is “clean and hygienic, with transparent pricing.”

“This recycling station is great! ”In the past, we had to wait for itinerant vendors to come pick up the cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans we saved at home, but their schedules were unpredictable. Sometimes, when things piled up inside the house, it looked really messy. At this recycling station, the prices for all kinds of recyclables are clearly listed on the little blackboard every day, so I feel at ease coming here,” said Mr. Niu.

“We aim to fully stimulate residents” enthusiasm for recycling by offering competitive prices,“ Chen Junyi told reporters. Thanks to its end-of-line advantages, the recycling station’s prices are 5% or even up to 10% higher than market rates. In addition, the station’s most distinctive feature is its ”all-category“ recycling approach, which collects every type of recyclable resource. ”Since the recycling station became operational, many residents have frequently told us that there has been a noticeable reduction in discarded items, plastic bottles, and other clutter in the neighborhood, and the community environment has become much cleaner,” Chen Junyi said.

Recycle and Reuse: Setting Up "Love Stations" to Give Back to Local Residents

Next to the Recycling Center, staff have also set up a special "Community Rest Area" of about 10 square meters for local residents to rest and take a break.

At around 10:30 a.m. on the 4th, Ms. Zhao, a local resident, had just disposed of the cardboard she had been saving for a week at the recycling station when she noticed the “Love Station” next door, a place where people could rest.

Out of curiosity, Ms. Zhao stepped into the room. Although the rest stop wasn’t very spacious, it was fully equipped, with tables, chairs, stools, a bicycle pump, a water heater, and other items neatly arranged—truly a case of “small but fully equipped.”

As Ms. Zhao walked over to the table and chairs and sat down, she noticed two bookshelves about 1.5 meters tall next to the table. The shelves were neatly organized, holding nearly a hundred books, including newspapers, magazines, and biographies. “This recycling station is really great. Not only is it close to home, but they also pay fair prices for recyclables. Plus, I can stop by and rest here whenever I’m passing by—it’s so heartwarming!” Ms. Zhao said happily.

All the books at the “Love Station” are items that local residents have donated to the recycling center. While sorting and inventorying these items, staff specifically select clean books and magazines that are readable, informative, and educational, and place them at the “Love Station” for reuse. Ultimately, items that residents considered waste are transformed into valuable books for everyone’s leisure and enjoyment.

“Waste is a resource in the wrong place, and recycling is a key way to reuse resources,” said Chen Junyi. He added that a major goal of establishing this recycling station is to allow residents to benefit from it while also gaining a better understanding of the significance and value of resource reuse.

“The ”Corporate Investment + Market-Oriented Operation” Model Will Be Replicated and Promoted in Xiaodian District

Taiyuan’s first recycling station, which operates primarily under an innovative “corporate investment + market-driven operation” model, began operations in mid-December 2024. Now, in just one month, it has become an essential facility for residents in the surrounding communities to sort their trash and recycle resources.

A representative from the Xiaodian District Sanitation Center stated that in recent years, Xiaodian District has implemented a coordinated plan for household waste disposal, collection, transportation, recycling, and treatment through a “points, stations, and facilities” layout. Today, the district’s model for establishing a recyclable resources recovery system—which involves “collection at the source, sorting and processing, and direct delivery to end-use recycling”—is considered a leading model throughout the province.

“The launch of the first collection station has not only reduced the volume of household waste at the final disposal stage and increased the recovery of recyclable resources, but has also effectively integrated the ‘household waste network‘ with the ’recyclable resources network,” thereby truly maximizing the utilization of recyclable resources. “Moving forward, we will use this as a model to comprehensively replicate and expand the initiative throughout Xiaodian District,” said a relevant official.

Article reposted from the [Shanxi Environmental Sanitation and Solid Waste] WeChat official account