Shanghai rule spurs trash bin sales

The new regulation on domestic waste management in Shanghai, which came into force from July 1, has opened the doors of opportunity for businesses, especially those dealing with trash bins and related products.

The new rule requires every household and institution to sort trash into four categories: residual waste, kitchen waste, hazardous waste and recyclables. Those who don't comply will face fines from 50 yuan ($7.3) to 50,000 yuan.

Sellers of trash bins have seen a surge in sales even before the enforcement of the regulation. According to Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao, 3 million trash bins were sold in June, and sales between June 24 to 30 - a week before the regulation came into effect - went up by 50 percent compared with the same period last year.

Trash bins for different kinds of waste were most popular on Haitao City, a dealer on Taobao focused on household goods imported from Japan.

Selling at a price of 178 to 208 yuan, these bins were more expensive than those made locally, which were available for less than 100 yuan, but the dealer said it had sold more than 25,000 trash bins in the past month. The 45-liter bin, for instance, was sold out on Wednesday.

Kitchen waste shredder, not so well-known among consumers, was also in demand in Shanghai. With a price ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 yuan, top sellers of the product on Taobao registered more than 1,000 deals in the past month.

Citizens having bought waste shredders didn't go unnoticed by the Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau. Speaking at a news conference on June 28, Deng Jianping, director of the Bureau, said: "The Bureau does not encourage the use of shredders because it puts heavy burden on sewage treatment and increases chances of clogging in the drainage system."

A trash sorter, which contains four small trash bins, has also seen brisk sales. Aijiabei, a Shanghai-based toy seller on Taobao, said it started selling the product from March, while the sales started soaring from May. In June, it sold more than 2,000 trash sorters.

JD, an e-commerce company, has become a one-stop shop for trash-sorting products. It said in a news release that the sales of trash bins and bags, and tongs, doubled in June compared with the previous months.

The company said it had signed an agreement to provide customized procurement service for the Shanghai Construction Group and property management subsidiaries of China Resources Land, a property developer.

"JD has studied the regulations in different provinces and cities, and will provide its clients with the right products and services for garbage-sorting," said Ding Deming, general manager of industrial products department at JD.

According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, by 2020, 46 cities across the country, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, will have a basic system in place for classifying and disposing household garbage. By 2025, cities at the prefecture level and above will have all the systems in place for waste disposal.