Beijing faces a "garbage crisis" as an increasing volume of rubbish threatens to overwhelm the capital's existing landfills, state media reported on Thursday.
The volume of waste produced in the city is growing at eight percent per year and is expected to exceed the capacity of Beijing's 13 landfill sites within five years, the China Daily reported, citing the city government.
It quoted a municipal commission warning of a "garbage crisis" if the city does not rapidly open new landfills and waste incineration facilities, noting that two of Beijing's dumps are already full and will soon close.
"We are working on laws and penalties to cut down garbage production in the capital and have sped up construction of new sanitary landfill sites," the paper quoted Guo Weidong, a city spokesman, as saying. It gave no other details.
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http://www.terradaily.com/2007/090611050330.bznvetrd.html