China’s Trash Paradox: Too Many Incinerators, Not Enough Garbage

 Only in China could “too much trash” suddenly flip into “not enough trash.” After a decade of building the world’s largest network of waste-to-energy plants, the country now faces an odd dilemma: mountains of incinerators with not enough garbage to keep them running.

From Trash Crisis to Incinerator Boom

Ten years ago, China raced to solve its urban waste problem by burning it. Building an incinerator takes less than two years, while teaching millions of people to sort trash properly can take a generation. The result? Over 1,000 waste-to-energy plants today—more than half the global capacity.

By 2022, the industry could process 333 million tons of trash a year. The problem? Only 311 million tons of household waste actually got collected. In other words, China can now burn 1.1 million tons of garbage daily… but doesn’t have enough trash to feed the flames.

Running Out of Rubbish

Some plants have shut down furnaces for months. Others are digging into old landfills like treasure hunters, or even paying property managers just to supply them with garbage.

“We have three furnaces, but one has to stay closed all year,” said a plant operator in Hebei. “Population is shrinking, consumption is slowing, and so is the trash. Profits were low before—now we’re just bleeding money.”

source: Alamy
 

Environmental Concerns Still Linger

Critics warn that incinerators aren’t exactly harmless. Toxic smoke, leachate, and fly ash pose serious health and environmental risks. Fly ash is often recycled into construction materials, but with China’s real estate sector in crisis, demand has plunged.

Still, analysts say harmful emissions have dropped significantly in recent years. Incineration also helps cut methane emissions from landfills, which are far worse for the climate.

A Turning Point?

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment says the boom has peaked, and expansion is slowing. Instead, the focus is shifting to better treatment of leachate and ash.

Interestingly, the shortage of trash may not be a failure—but a victory. Since 2017, stricter recycling rules have reduced household waste. Cities like Shenzhen, with 18 million residents, now landfill zero household trash thanks to five high-capacity incineration facilities.

“Less garbage is actually a good thing,” said a Zhejiang plant manager. “It means our environment is improving.”

The Irony

China built an empire of incinerators to fight a trash crisis. Now, those very plants are struggling because the crisis is shrinking. For once, “running out of garbage” might just be the best problem a country can have.

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