China plans to expand its waste-free city initiative to around 200 cities during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), as it steps up efforts to strengthen solid waste management nationwide, a senior environment official said on Tuesday.

Li Gao, vice minister of ecology and environment, made the remarks at a policy briefing on the Action Plan for Comprehensive Treatment of Solid Waste.

According to a guideline on building a beautiful China, 60% of Chinese cities are expected to participate in waste-free city construction by 2027, and the country aims to implement the initiative nationwide by 2035.

Aligning the recently released action plan with the guideline, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment aims to increase the number of participating cities from 113 cities and eight designated areas during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) to about 200 cities in the next five years.

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