ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the status of Chinas waste management system. It also explains the types of waste categories: MSW, industrial waste, and hazardous waste. In 1978, China changed its economic structure from a planned economy to a market-based economy. Wang and Nie examine aspects of MSW management in China such as the amount of discharged waste, the properties of the waste disposal systems for MSW, legislation on MSW, and so on. Chung and Lo (2004) conduct a questionnaire survey in two cities, Jiangmen city and Zhongshan city, and examine the waste collection system, a disposal fee, the possibility of waste reduction, citizen's behavior toward waste management, and citizen's environmental literacy. Further, in the major cities in China, kitchen waste accounts for the largest proportion of MSW. The informal sector plays an important role in MSW management in China because informal waste pickers collect a large portion of household recyclables.
