A garbage-sorting station in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

Residents of Shanghai are having more social contact with their neighbors after a strict waste-sorting campaign was launched, obliging them to dispose of garbage at fixed locations and at scheduled times.

The strict garbage-sorting regulations have prompted local residents to pay more attention to their daily garbage sorting. Many neighborhoods in Shanghai have set up garbage-sorting stations and invited volunteers to supervise and instruct residents on how to correctly sort household waste, The Beijing News reported.

A video posted by The Beijing News shows a resident meeting her neighbors at the station and asking about whether corn cob is considered dry or wet waste and how to sort lobster shells.

The report said that complaining about garbage-sorting provides a new topic of conversation to the residents who seldom spoke with each other before.

One of the volunteers at the garbage station said that some residents did not understand why waste-sorting was necessary so they did not support their work, but residents are beginning to consciously sort household wastes without volunteers' help after publicity campaigns were held on the importance of garbage-sorting.

Most netizens support garbage-sorting, agreeing that the campaign will benefit the country, but are worried about how to correctly sort waste and avoid fines.

The Beijing News