Pudong residents told 'get on your bike'

Diego Palmieri, vice--president of SC Johnson and general manager of the company's China operation, is among the first to deliver e-waste to the recyclable resource transition station in Shanghai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A public bicycle-sharing program has been launched in a Shanghai community to encourage more residents to get out of their cars and enjoy a healthier, low-carbon lifestyle.

A total of 30 stations with 800 to 900 bikes will be set up throughout the city's Jinqiao community in the Pudong area over the next three years.

As an incentive to use the bikes, people who work or live in the community can ride anywhere for free within the first hour.

The program, say officials, is an extension of an existing partnership between Shanghai Jinqiao Recyclable Resource Transition Market and SC Johnson China, the local arm of SC Johnson & Son, the global manufacturer of household cleaning supplies, that started in 2010 to help promote environmental protection in the city.

The partnership includes a recycling program for electrical and electronics equipment, now often referred to as "e-waste", where local residents are encouraged to recycle old goods at the Jinqiao market. About 200 metric tons of electronics have so far been collected.

Shanghai has been working hard at dealing with how to dispose of e-waste, such as old computers, televisions and remote controls, said Yang Jingrong, an official of Shanghai Jinqiao.

A recent report suggested that around 2.3 million tons of e-waste is produced across the country each year.

"Over the past few years, we have carried out various public education activities among residents, to help improve their environmental protection awareness," said Yang, adding that the city's officials have been involved in various projects to deal with the growing threat, including the SC Johnson e-waste initiative.

"Residents are rewarded when they present their e-waste at our recyclable resource transition market. The collected e-waste is then sent to licensed companies for further processing."

Diego Palmieri, vice-president of SC Johnson and general manager of the company's China operation, said the US organization was also involved in local education programs.