The construction of "zero-waste cities" and the development of new quality productivity emphasize getting rid of high-consumption, high-pollution, and low-value-added production methods, and integrating the two, which can improve productivity and environmental performance at the same time, and promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
China's comprehensive environmental management of solid waste has entered a critical period, and there are still some bottleneck problems to be solved in the field of "zero-waste city" construction. First, the historical stockpile of solid waste is large, and the environmental risks and hidden dangers are prominent. The comprehensive utilization rate of bulk solid wastes such as coal gangue, red mud, phosphogypsum, and steel slag is still hovering at a low level, and the utilization and disposal capacity of solid wastes such as domestic waste incineration fly ash and industrial waste salt has been insufficient for a long time. Some low-value industrial solid waste has no effective disposal method other than landfill. Second, the existing solid waste recycling network is not perfect enough, the "circulation obstruction" and "vacuum zone" of waste materials coexist, there are blockages and breakpoints in information sharing between regions and departments, and the whole process monitoring and information traceability system of all types of solid waste has not yet been formed. Third, some local governments are not enthusiastic about the high-level construction of "zero-waste cities", and the sense of urgency is not enough, and the resource recycling industry closely related to the construction of "zero-waste cities" still has the problem of "big but not strong, complete but not refined", and the integration of the venous industry and the arterial industry represented by the resource recycling industry is not deep.
The development of new quality productive forces is not only an inevitable requirement for seizing the opportunity of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, but also the only way to accelerate the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Accelerating the formation of a "zero-waste city" construction system and mechanism that is compatible with the development of new quality productivity can effectively accelerate the construction of a waste recycling system, promote the green transformation of production methods and lifestyles, and the comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society.
With the construction of "zero-waste city" as the general starting point, we will strengthen resource conservation, intensive recycling, and efficient utilization
With the reform and innovation of the system and mechanism of "zero-waste city" construction as the core, anchoring the development orientation of "focusing on source reduction, promoting full quantification, high-value, and green recycling of resources", we will promote the cooperation of central and local projects in depth, and accelerate the research and promotion and application of green and low-carbon "stuck neck" technologies in the field of solid waste utilization and disposal, especially to further improve the level of comprehensive utilization of bulk solid wastes such as coal gangue, red mud, phosphogypsum, and steel slag, so as to realize fine recycling, high-value utilization and clean regeneration of solid waste.
Give full play to the basic, strategic and leading role of standards, comprehensively promote the formulation of product standards, technical standards, management standards and talent training standards in circular economy, cleaner production, resource regeneration, etc., and provide support for promoting a new round of large-scale equipment renewal and consumer goods trade-in. Give full play to the multiplier effect of data elements, establish and improve a solid waste supervision information system with complete functions, comprehensive information and services in place, sort out the material flow, energy flow, information flow and capital flow in the field of solid waste environmental management, promote the closed-loop supervision and intelligent governance of all types of solid waste, and reduce the comprehensive cost of solid waste social management.
Accelerate the innovation of green technology and the promotion and application of advanced green technologies, and improve the level of "zero waste" of the entire industrial chain
Enhance the ability to tackle key core technologies in the field of solid waste treatment, and develop a number of cutting-edge leading technologies, modern engineering technologies, and disruptive technologies that are compatible with the construction of "zero-waste cities". Strengthen the forward-looking layout of emerging solid waste in the clean energy industry such as retired wind turbine blades, scrapped photovoltaic modules, and retired vehicle power batteries, as well as the comprehensive utilization of solid waste in new infrastructure fields such as data centers, communication base stations, and new energy vehicle charging piles.
Relying on China's high-standard free trade zone network, we will improve the level of opening up in the field of energy conservation and environmental protection, actively expand the import of advanced solid waste environmental treatment technology and equipment, and cultivate and expand the trade in environmental services for comprehensive solid waste management. Encourage solid waste recycling and treatment enterprises to accelerate the transformation of digital intelligence, high efficiency, high-end, and green, widely apply new production tools such as big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, and steadily promote the action of "cloud and data empowerment" in the solid waste treatment industry, and significantly improve the "green productivity" of enterprises.
Build a green, low-carbon and circular economy system, and continue to improve the policy toolbox for the construction of "zero-waste cities".
We will build a number of large-scale waste recycling leading enterprises and "specialized, special and new" ecological and environmental protection enterprises with reasonable layout, distinctive characteristics, complementary advantages, and division of labor and cooperation, and encourage mutual empowerment and coordinated development among existing large-scale strategic environmental protection industry groups. Promote ecological industrialization and industrial ecology, innovate the use of eco-environment-oriented development models, focus on the development of sustainable investment and financing, create clusters of "zero-waste traditional industries", "zero-waste emerging industries" and "zero-waste future industries", and improve supporting green supply chains and reverse recycling systems for waste products. Improve the carbon footprint accounting and labeling system of recycled products, do a good job of information interconnection with the existing carbon emission verification system, and explore the "carbon pricing" policy to enhance the market competitiveness of recycled products.
Adhere to talent first, build a "zero-waste city", and build a new type of workforce
In accordance with the requirements of the development of new quality productivity, the virtuous circle of education, science and technology, and talents should be smoothed, and the working mechanism of talent training, introduction, use, and rational flow should be improved, and the strength, gravity, effectiveness, and vitality of talents participating in the construction of "zero-waste cities" should be enhanced. Establish the concept of interdisciplinary, integration of industry and education, and school-enterprise collaboration, implement supporting service policies such as talent echelon, scientific research conditions, and management mechanisms, and cultivate strategic, innovative, and knowledge-based talents who can create new quality productivity in the process of building a "zero-waste city", as well as skilled, application-oriented, and engineering talents who can master new quality means of production, and continuously enhance the adaptability of talents.
Strengthen the strategic consultation on the construction of "zero-waste cities", build a high-end talent pool and think tank for comprehensive management of solid waste environment in the new era, attach importance to the collection of industrial intelligence in related fields, continue to track the cutting-edge information, emerging technologies and beneficial experiences of the construction of "zero-waste cities" at home and abroad, and continuously improve the scientific decision-making ability and innovation system efficiency of the construction of "zero-waste cities".
Author's Affiliation:Hunan Provincial Ecological Civilization Research and Promotion Association