Wasting Fresh Produce: Bizarre Practices at Beijing's Zhongguancun Trash Sorting Station

Waste management and proper trash sorting have been heralded as vital measures for the well-being of both nations and communities. However, in some places, it seems that the saying "top-down policies, bottom-up contradictions" occasionally happens. In late October 2023, according to the report by China Wildlife Conservation and Scientific Ethics WeChat Official Account, at a trash sorting station in Zhongguancun, Beijing's Haidian district, an extraordinary scene unfolded, as reported by the "China Bio-Rescue and Bioethics" public account.

（Screen capture of the video from "China Bio-Rescue and Bioethics" WeChat Official account)

Passersby were taken aback when they witnessed neat bundles of fresh Chinese cabbage, looking pristine and vibrant, sitting right in front of a garbage bin. Workers, armed with shovels, systematically hacked, slashed, and shoveled the cabbages into fragments. The spectators were baffled – who would discard such fresh and bountiful vegetables? Why waste them? Their astonishment led some to consider rescuing the cabbages. But the workers swiftly intervened, wielding their shovels defensively, and declared that these cabbages were bought by them.

Now, why would anyone intentionally destroy perfectly good vegetables and discard them as trash, especially when they were freshly bought? The workers seemed reluctant to engage, asserting that it was none of anyone else's concern. Soon, a crowd of onlookers gathered, and a few elderly citizens expressed their dissatisfaction. They decried the wasteful act, lamenting the toil of farmers whose hard work had culminated in these vegetables. An elder exclaimed, "It's such a shame to see them go to waste like this." A young child chipped in, "Even if you have money, you can't be wasteful!" Another person attempted to salvage a few cabbages but was thwarted by the workers' shovels.

As more people clamored for answers, the workers brushed off their concerns and simply urged them to report the incident. The audacity of wasting food in such an unapologetic manner left everyone utterly flabbergasted.

Curious onlookers learned from local residents and security personnel that this was not an isolated incident but rather a recurring practice at this trash sorting station. So, why were these fresh cabbages being deliberately transformed into waste and discarded into the kitchen waste bin? Through repeated confrontations and dialogues between the surrounding crowd and the workers, a disturbing picture began to emerge. This particular trash sorting station was under pressure to meet collection and disposal quotas, but the volume of kitchen waste generated here often fell short. To bridge the gap, they resorted to purchasing large quantities of inexpensive cabbages (some sources reported as low as 0.2 yuan per jin, a unit of weight) and chopping them up to add bulk to the kitchen waste, thus fulfilling the required "25 bins of kitchen waste" quota.

Waste management and disposal should adhere to the principles of accuracy and integrity. Using fresh vegetables to artificially generate trash to meet quotas goes against the most basic morals, common sense, and work ethics. One cannot help but wonder if such practices may constitute a form of data manipulation in kitchen waste sorting.

Despite the public outcry and condemnation of this wasteful behavior, the cleaning crew remained indifferent and ultimately disposed of all the cabbages by chopping them into pieces and tossing them into green bins labeled "kitchen waste." An elderly observer, with a mixture of frustration and amazement, pointed out that the workers displayed a certain skill in not filling each trash bin to capacity, allowing them to stuff more bins and complete the task.

Conserving food is not only a virtue but also a principle that should be upheld. While there may be underlying reasons for this peculiar practice, the present circumstances leave us perplexed. It is our hope that local communities and relevant authorities will take this issue seriously, investigate its root causes, and put an end to unnecessary food wastage. This incident serves as a reminder that trash sorting is not just a task; it is an ethical responsibility that demands careful consideration.

Despite the public outcry and condemnation of this wasteful behavior, the cleaning crew remained indifferent and ultimately disposed of all the cabbages by chopping them into pieces and tossing them into green bins labeled "kitchen waste." An elderly observer, with a mixture of frustration and amazement, pointed out that the workers displayed a certain skill in not filling each trash bin to capacity, allowing them to stuff more bins and complete the task.

Conserving food is not only a virtue but also a principle that should be upheld. While there may be underlying reasons for this peculiar practice, the present circumstances leave us perplexed. It is our hope that local communities and relevant authorities will take this issue seriously, investigate its root causes, and put an end to unnecessary food wastage. This incident serves as a reminder that trash sorting is not just a task; it is an ethical responsibility that demands careful consideration.

Writer: Shen Yihang

Editor: Yujie

Contact:  v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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