In an attempt to tackle the increasing amount of garbage generated from urban areas, the city's first organic waste treatment plant for kitchen trash began a trial operation on Tuesday.

Workers organize garbage bins in Guangzhou's first kitchen waste treatment plant.?[China Daily]

The 165-square meter plant, located in the Yanling Road area in Guangzhou, has a daily capacity of 2.4 tons of kitchen waste, according to the urban administrative committee of Guangdong's provincial capital.

The plant uses three biochemical treatment machines manufactured by the Beijing-based Goldenway Biology Technology Company, which supplies most facilities for organic waste treatment in China's capital.

After being heated at high temperatures for 30 minutes and fermented for about eight hours, kitchen waste will produce microbial flora, which can be used in microbial fertilizers.

"Microbial fertilizers have proven to be effective for growing plants and vegetables. That's why we are launching the organic waste treatment plant to recycle kitchen trash," said Li Tinggui, director of the urban administrative committee.

In the next five years, the city will be able to treat all organic waste generated from restaurants and households, accounting for about 50 percent of all waste produced in Guangzhou, Li said.

"The organic treatment of kitchen trash plays an important role in handling the increasing amount of garbage," Li said.

In Guangzhou, most of the 12,000 tons of daily trash is currently treated at the Xingfeng landfill and the Likeng incineration plant.

"The life of the landfill plant in Xingfeng village will be increased by at least five years, if organic waste treatment is promoted in the city," Li said.

Authorities in Guangzhou have been pressured to deal with its trash problem since last year when residents strongly opposed the construction of more incineration projects because of environmental concerns.

A press official surnamed Chen with the local urban administrative committee said authorities of each district in the city will develop similar organic waste treatment plants if the project is proven effective.

"Before building such plants, residents will be required to dispose of their kitchen trash in designated dustbins, which will be installed in all residential communities," Chen told China Daily.

The city will distribute color-coded bins for different type of waste material in the next 10 years, Chen said.

The residential areas of Donghu Road, Yuexiu district and Tongdewei residential community, Baiyun district will participate in the trial.

"It will take us some time to apply waste sorting procedures to the entire city as residents need to develop more awareness and habits about waste management," Chen said.