Where does your trash go?

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Ever wonder what actually happens to that bag of trash you toss out every day?

A decade ago, "garbage siege" wasn't an exaggeration. But these days? Things have flipped: some waste-to-energy plants are running half-empty.

So how did we go from "garbage siege" to "not enough trash to burn"? CGTN Digital went to check out a garden-style factory in Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area. Across the city, 26,000 tonnes of trash is generated every day. At this plant, it is fermented for five to seven days, dewatered, then fed into incinerators running above 1,000 degrees Celsius. The heat generates electricity. The bottom ash becomes permeable bricks that are used to pave the city's streets. Wastewater is treated and reused on-site – with zero discharge. AI helps out too, adjusting parameters and offering suggestions in real time.

A lot of people think waste sorting and waste incineration are two separate things. But it's actually the opposite: sorting makes incineration cleaner, more efficient and safer. It's not about one replacing the other – they work together.

September 20 is World Cleanup Day. This film follows one bag of trash on its journey – from the bin to its "rebirth."

So how does your city handle its trash? Drop a comment!