Street view of a large commercial complex in Xiong"an New Area, North China"s Hebei Province, on October 11, 2026 Photo: Li Hao/GT

　　"Zero-waste city"

　　That matters because Xiong"an itself is no ordinary Chinese city.

　　Established in 2017 about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, Xiong"an New Area was designed to take on functions that are not essential to Beijing"s role as the nation"s capital, while exploring a new model of urban development. Its master plan describes the goal of building a green, intelligent and livable modern city, with ecological protection embedded in its development from the beginning.

　　China launched the national "zero-waste city" pilot program in 2019, and 11 cities and five regions were selected to carry out the pilot work to curb urban solid waste. The pilot program, jointly led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and 17 other ministerial-level departments, aims to reduce waste generation at the source, cut landfill volume and boost resource recycling, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

　　Xiong"an became one of China"s first "zero-waste city" pilots in 2019. Here, "zero waste" does not literally mean producing no waste. It means minimizing waste generation, maximizing recycling and resource recovery, reducing landfill dependence and managing the remaining waste with the lowest possible environmental impact. Xiong"an has incorporated the concept into areas ranging from household and industrial waste to construction, agriculture and hazardous waste.