What is JingSu
JingSu – Creating Value from Plastic Waste along the Yangtze River is a project powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance) and implemented by the German development agency GIZ with the aim to facilitate collecting and recycling plastic waste and reducing the amount of plastic waste leaking into the environment and river basin of the Yangtze and Suzhou City. The growing population and economic activity in Suzhou and the associated increase in the consumption of plastics are putting pressure on the local waste management system. Especially the increasing use of low value plastics and single use plastic packaging, which often end up in the environment, threaten the Yangtze ecosystem. Ultimately, polluted river systems like the Yangtze contribute to improperly managed waste entering the oceans. To reduce plastic waste in Suzhou, JingSu is rethinking the management of low-value plastics and food and beverage containers (FaBCs) in the city. In collaboration with local authorities, companies, educational institutions, NGOs and residents, the initiative supports Suzhou City to raise awareness, optimize their plastic waste management system and facilitate recycling. The objective is to develop and implement an integrated and sustainable system for the reduction, collection, separation and recycling of plastic waste, with a particular focus on low-value plastics and FaBCs. From prevention and reuse to recycling and responsible disposal of plastics, JingSu raises awareness, builds knowledge, and changes behaviour patterns according to the waste hierarchy. The project builds local capacity in the public and private sectors and promotes strategic approaches and innovative business models for plastic waste reduction and recycling. It promotes new standards and data solutions and tests state-of- the-art collection and sorting infrastructures for the tracing, management, and recycling of lower-value plastics – hence, creating value from plastic waste.
Why Jingsu
“JingSu” - a wordplay in Chinese pinyin - highlights the vision of this project: to clean up plastic waste along the Yangtze River. The Yangtze Economic Belt is one of the most economically developed regions in China, contributing with 46% to the national GDP and representing more than 35% of the Chinese Population. Yangtze is the longest river in China and nourishes nearly one-third of the national population. The growing urban population and consumption, as well as increasing economic activity, have a direct impact on the riverine environment and natural habitats, especially with regard to the ever-growing problem of plastic waste. Especially "low-value" plastics and single use FaBCs pose a major challenge to urban waste management systems. While the use of these items has increased significantly, they are often carelessly discarded into the environment and not reintroduced into the value chain. By supporting Suzhou City and its residents in strengthening sustainable plastic waste management systems and practices, JingSu lives up to its name by promoting a new approach to plastics and prevent riverine litter. JingSu seeks to valorise lower value plastic waste, facilitate its recycling, raise awareness and drive clean-ups along the Yangtze River.
How do we do it?
JingSu supports the local authorities and people of Suzhou to improve the city’s plastic waste management system by collaborating with a broad spectrum of stakeholders from the plastic value chain including the private sector, educational institutions, residents and local NGOs. The project targets 4 areas of work.
What we aim to achieve
The ultimate objective of JingSu is to establish a sound collection and sorting system for FaBCs that is fully integrated within the city waste management system and widely adopted by residents of Suzhou.
