Pei Albrecht, head of ALBA Group's China affairs, said many other cities have already shown interest in waste recycling technologies and the market potential in the coming years are beyond imagination.
"ALBA Group was invited to work out some plans for garbage disposals in cities like Taiyuan (in northern China). They're determined to solve their problems," said Pei.
Commenting on China's trash recycling efforts, Jurijs Trosenko, a regional manager of Solid Environmental Technologies company in Finland, said China has started to tackle the problem before it becomes too critical.
He said it is good for the vast country to set an example for all developing countries.
VALUABLE EUROPEAN KNOW-HOW
In Sweden, a small city called Hammerby, some 8 km south of the capital city Stockholm, has seen many Chinese delegations seeking advanced technologies in environmental protection in recent years.
Hammerby is now an eco-city model with large stretches of woods and lawns, as well as crystal clear rivers.
Some 30 years ago, the city was called a "garbage city" as it was heavily polluted with household garbages.
As part of the city's reincarnation efforts, biodegradable plastic bags were in place for garbage sorting, and vacuum underground tubes were built to send the sorted trashes to different processing centers.
ENVAC Group, an enterprise that took part in this drive, also went to China for business opportunities.
In March, ENVAC signed a contract with the White Peak Real Estate to supply its system to a new, smart eco-community in China's eastern coastal city of Yantai.
"Sustainable development and environmental friendliness is the feature (of the eco-community). We are trying to solve a myth that urbanization level is rising but people's sense of happiness is dipping," said Jesper Jos Olsson, president of the White Peak Real Estate.
With an eye on China's green future, Chinese enterprises are investing big in relevant European businesses.
China Everbright International acquired NOVAGO Sp. Z o.o., a major Polish waste management firm, in 2016.
Established in 1992, NOVAGO is said to be the largest independent waste treatment company in Poland.
NOVAGO's advanced waste-to-energy technologies, turning organic waste to methane and combustible waste to alternative fuel, are highly valued for the Chinese market.
The method will contribute to lessening dependence on traditional fossil fuels and help reduce the most harmful emissions, such as particulates, sulphur and ash, serving the crucial and ultimate goal of protecting the environment. Enditem
(Xinhua reporters Zhang Yuan, Lian Zhen in Berlin, Zhai Wei in Brussels, Wang Pan in Guangzhou, Li Jizhi in Helsinki, He Miao in Stockholm, Zhang Zhang in Warsaw contributed to the story.)