Shanghai's waste sorting rules, which were referred to as "the strictest waste separation regulations in history," are driving companies to create new businesses, including charged services for helping people sort and dispose waste.
The regulation has been in operation for over a week, starting from July 1, and has driven demand for substituting services as some people were unable to sort and dispose of their waste in the specific time period, and others were just confused by the complex sorting rules.
Some online stores at taobao.com have already begun offering waste disposal and sorting services, with prices ranging from 1 yuan ($0.15) to 924 yuan, and the service is payable by single payments, monthly payments and other options.
Package purchases are even available for customers to select. One online store charges 15 yuan for one-time waste sorting and 200 yuan for 15 sortings.
The Global Times found that Alibaba-backed online payment platform Alipay has also set eyes on the new business opportunities, and is now offering waste recycling services.
Some popular waste sorting substitutes can even earn over 10,000 yuan per month, chinanews.com reported on Saturday.
There were 3 million rubbish bin units sold in June, almost one per second, said the report, citing data from Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao.
"It is relatively expensive, and I would not consider the service at present," a Shanghai resident, surnamed Li, told the Global Times on Monday.
"However, it is necessary to offer these kinds of services, especially for some senior citizens or people with disabilities," Li said.
The new business is only the tip of the iceberg. The whole chain of waste sorting can be divided into four stages, which includes separate delivery, collection, transportation, and disposal. Residents only participate in the first step, and the economic benefit that follow-up steps bring by could be inestimable, caijing.com.cn reported on Wednesday.
Waste classification will bring about 1 trillion yuan to the market, and the profit growth rate of relevant sectors will be at least 30 percent, said the report.
As of July 6, the city's law enforcement departments had conducted 9,600 law enforcement inspections, with 190 fines issued involving 15 individuals, thepaper.cn reported on Sunday.
