How we handle waste has a great influence on our environment. It is thus no wonder that China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced plans in January 2017 to spend 252 billion RMB through 2020 to tackle China’s waste problem. This number also shows that there is a lot happening in this sector and that it is a potential market for Dutch companies.
Marieke Kromkamp, Sales Manager at Waste Treatment Technologies Netherlands, confirms that there is plenty of opportunity for cooperation. “In the Netherlands, there is a lot of knowledge and experience in the field of waste (and water) management, especially with regard to the biological treatment (composting, bio-drying, anaerobic digestion) of waste streams. In China, a lot of waste is still going to landfill or deposits. For this part, China and the Netherlands can strengthen each other and work together on solutions.”
Two-thirds of the money that China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) reserved, will fund ‘non-harmful’ methods of household-waste disposal, such as incineration, landfills and recycling. According to the 13th Five-Year Plan waste to energy (WTE) incineration capacity increases to 467k tons/day in 2020, accounting for more than half of all municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment in China, indicating rapid growth and increasing demand for relevant equipment.
The Netherlands, with its dense population, prides itself on smart resource management and nowadays is among the world’s leaders in waste management. During CSITF, there will be a seminar on waste treatment and management to join hands with our Chinese counterparts. At the same time, sustainable green and circular solutions for our shared challenges and opportunities will be discussed. Ms. Kromkamp emphasizes that Sino-Dutch cooperation in this field “is a good thing. As the waste market in China, especially in relation to the treatment of municipal solid waste, is extremely big and there is a lot of potential.”
Innovation mission and seminars
The green technologies innovation mission during CSITF focused on relevant areas in finding sustainable solutions for global challenges: Solar Energy, Air Pollution Monitoring and Waste Treatment and Management.
The seminars “Exploring Sino-Dutch R&D Collaboration and Business Opportunities in Solar Energy and Air Pollution Monitoring” and the “Sino-Dutch seminar on waste treatment and management” were held during the CSITF. A report about these seminars will follow soon.