Beijing Announces Plans to Recover 70 per cent of Tyres

Beijing yesterday released plans aimed at increasing the use of recycled materials and boosting the city’s solid waste-recovery capacity by 2010. The plans included recovery targets of 95 per cent of waste automobiles and 70 per cent of end of life tyres. In 2005 only 4 per cent of Beijing’s retreadable casings were retreaded, the China Daily newspaper reported.

By 2010, 40 per cent of all rubbish will be burnt, 30 per cent will be treated and the rest will be buried. At present, 90 per cent of the city’s garbage is buried, taking up 327 hectares land. Only 2 per cent of the garbage is burned and 8 per cent is composted.

“Beijing will preliminarily set up a framework for the circular economy and become a model resource-saving city for the nation by 2010,” said Yao Fei, an official with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, at a press meeting yesterday.