The city of Shenzhen has reportedly started mining a landfill long believed to be the largest in China. Since 1983, the landfill served as Shenzhen's primary dumping place.

By the time it stopped operations in 2005, it had accumulated some 2.55 million cubic meters of trash that rose to a 110-meter-high hill. That towering pile of rubbish is located barely a kilometer away from a high-speed train station now under construction.

According to the new plan, about 6,000 cubic meters of trash will be excavated from the landfill daily. The reusable stuff will be recycled while the remainder will be sent to a power plant as fuel.

In a few years, the trash hill will get removed, and the venue will be turned into a science and technology zone focused on artificial intelligence and the digital economy. I look forward to witnessing how Cinderella turns into Snow White.

The Shenzhen project is part of China's efforts to develop no-waste cities, a program that aims to significantly decrease solid waste in urban centers. When the program kicked off in 2019,16 cities and regions, including Shenzhen, were chosen as pilot zones.

Public awareness campaigns were rolled out, urging people to prioritize environmental protection. Waste classification drives were conducted, free plastic bags were restricted and excessive packaging was curbed. At the same time, a central government-owned company was established to strengthen the recycling sector.

The efforts proved fruitful, and within three years, the pilot program was expanded to 121 cities and regions. Today, nearly 200 urban centers are part of the program and plans are to cover the entire country by the end of 2035.

Since China embarked on its reform and opening-up nearly 50 years ago, the authorities have followed a trial-first approach to solving major issues in the country. With a population of over 1.4 billion and great disparity in development levels and cultural backgrounds, sweeping programs cannot be rolled out at one go.

The same is true for the manner in which the no-waste city program is being implemented.

Turning waste into a national resource is not an easy task, especially because the project requires full cooperation from the public.

It needs people to change their waste disposal habits, which may affect the interests of different social and economic groups.

When waste classification was introduced about 10 years ago, we were told to classify household waste into four categories — recyclable, hazardous, kitchen waste and others — and throw them into four different bins. Initially, compliance was high.

But after some time, when we realized that nobody was supervising our garbage disposal and when we saw neighbors breaking the rules without getting punished, we lazybones followed suit. There are four trash bins at the exit of our apartment building though we have long given up the classification at home.

That, however, does not mean the waste goes without being classified.

The garbage collector in our compound meticulously searches all the bins to ensure that plastic bottles, packaging boxes, clothes and metallic items are set aside for sale before he takes the remaining waste to the community collection station on his electric tricycle.

With recyclable materials collected from a dozen or so trash bins in our complex for over a decade, the garbage collector has not only raised his family in Beijing but also supported his son's higher education.

To the middle-aged collector, the trash bins are a small but steady source of income. And he allows no interference from outsiders in his livelihood. I once saw him confront an outsider who attempted to "mine" the bins without his permission.

Most of the waste coming out of China's households is now classified not by families but by the waste collectors.

This is very different from the original design of the classification campaign, though the end result is acceptable if all reusable items are sent for recycling and lead to a decrease in solid waste.

We still have a long way to go to realize the dream of no-waste cities. On the way, we may even go astray sometimes. But now that we are aiming in the right direction, I firmly believe we will eventually get there. Trust me.

The author is former deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily.

kangbing@chinadaily.com.cn