Since Shanghai rolled out its latest waste-sorting rules on July 1, municipal regulators have been launching high-tech measures to complement follow-up supervision and management.

One community in Minhang, Shanghai, set up its first intelligent rubbish bin system, which integrated multiple functions such as identification, information screens, portal scanning and others, Beijing-based Science and Technology Daily reported on Tuesday.

This system can observe the waste delivery site in real time through monitoring devices, effectively identifying the accuracy of waste sorting, and can identify users through their smart cards, said the report.

It noted that each card is attached to one household, and when the waste is deposited in the bin, the residents' basic information will be transmitted to the background database. Residents who leave their rubbish outside the bins can also be identified based on their card log.

The news sparked wide discussion on social media platforms. Some netizens who have experienced similar waste disposal systems added that there are credit systems attached, and people can exchange their credit points for groceries.

"There are community staffs helping us sort waste in our neighborhood. It is inevitable that this will mean a new social cost as waste-sorting supervision needs extra personnel and material resources," a Shanghai resident, surnamed Li, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The promotion of the high-tech facilities may improve the efficiency of supervision, as well as lowering the cost in the future, Li said.

In addition, Shanghai has strengthened the construction of the information platform, and has formed a waste classification supervision and management system which covers the whole process of waste disposal, said the report.

Global Times