University recycling turns trash into treasure (4)

Compared with the qualified and licensed waste recycling companies, informal ones usually offer a higher price thanks to cheaper labor.

"We have to balance the operational cost of the processing, labor cost and transportation fees, all of which far exceeds the cost for unlicensed sectors," said Liu. "In addition, they can stay outside the dorm building all day long, which is far more convenient for students than what we do."

Mao Da, an expert in solid-waste management at Beijing Normal University, said that because most illegal waste recycling workshops do not have pollution treatment facilities, their operating cost is much lower than those of their legal counterparts.

"Most waste in China is recycled informally by individuals, which threatens the quality of soil, air and water when sorted and dealt with outdoors," he said. "The country has to deal with growing environmental damage and health woes if recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal workshops."

More than 170,000 people in Beijing earn a living collecting trash with their own industry chain of collection, processing and marketing, according to an industry insider who did not want to be identified.

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