BEIJING — Beijing will continue to promote municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting this year, aimed at establishing MSW sorting demonstration zones in 90 percent of the sub-districts and townships.

The figure was released in the government work report delivered on Jan 12 at the third session of the 15th Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

In 2019, the coverage of MSW sorting demonstration areas reached 60 percent of the city. Four more waste disposal facilities were put into use, increasing the handling capacity by 4,500 metric tons per day.

Last year, Beijing announced to enforce a city-wide mandatory garbage sorting system starting in May 2020 in a move to strengthen urban governance and prevent pollution.

According to the government work report, to push forward waste sorting in residential communities step by step, the city will improve the system of waste disposal, collection and transportation by category according to local conditions.

Beijing will also popularize MSW sorting knowledge in schools, communities and rural areas to develop waste sorting into a new trend, the report said.