(Adopted at the 16th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress on October 30, 1995，
revised at the 13th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People’s Congress and promulgated by Order No. 31 of
the President of the People’s Republic of China on December 29, 2004)
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Supervision over the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste
Chapter III Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste
Section 1 General Regulations
Section 2 Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Industrial Solid Waste
Section 3 Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Household Waste
Chapter IV Special Regulations for Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Hazardous Waste
Chapter V Legal Responsibility
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I
General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purpose of preventing and controlling environmental pollution by solid waste, ensuring human
health, maintaining ecological safety and promoting the sustainable development of the economy and society.
Article 2 This Law is applicable to the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste within the territory of
the People’s Republic of China.
This Law is not applicable to the prevention and control of marine environmental pollution by solid waste or of environmental pollution
by radioactive solid waste.
Article 3 In preventing and controlling environmental pollution by solid waste, the State follows the principles of reducing the
quantity of solid waste generated and its harmfulness, fully and rationally utilizing solid waste, and making it innocuous through
treatment, in order to promote cleaner production and the development of a circular economy.
The State adopts economic and technical policies and measures that facilitate the comprehensive use of solid waste, in order to fully
recover and rationally utilize solid waste.
The State encourages and supports the adoption of measures for concentrated treatment of solid waste for the benefit of environmental
protection and promotes the development of the industry designed to prevent and control environmental pollution by solid waste.
Article 4 People’s governments at or above the county level shall include the prevention and control of environmental pollution by
solid waste in their plans for national economic and social development and adopt economic and technical policies and measures that
facilitate the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste.
When making arrangements for drawing up plans for town and township construction, land use, regional development, industrial development,
etc., the relevant departments under the State Council, local people’s governments at or above the county level and the relevant
departments under them shall give overall consideration to the need of reducing the quantity of solid waste generated and its harmfulness,
and promoting the comprehensive use of solid waste and making it innocuous through treatment.
Article 5 In preventing and controlling environmental pollution by solid waste, the State follows the principle whereby the polluter
is held responsible in accordance with law.
Manufactures, sellers, importers and users of products shall, in accordance with law, be responsible for preventing and controlling
pollution by solid waste generated by the products.
Article 6 The State encourages and supports scientific research in and development of technologies for prevention and control of
environmental pollution by solid waste, promotes the wide use of advanced technologies for such prevention and control, and disseminates
scientific knowledge in this field.
People’s governments at various levels shall enhance publicity and education in the need of prevention and control of environmental
pollution by solid waste and promote the mode of production and way of life that are conducive to environmental protection.
Article 7 The State encourages units and individuals to purchase or use recycled and recyclable products.
Article 8 The people’s governments at various levels shall give awards to the units and individuals that have achieved outstanding
successes in the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste and in its multipurpose use.
Article 9 All units and individuals have the obligation to protect the environment and have the right to report or file charges against
the units or individuals that cause environmental pollution by solid waste.
Article 10 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall conduct unified supervision over
the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste throughout the country. The relevant departments under the State
Council shall be responsible for supervision over the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste within the
scope of their respective duties.
The administrative departments for environmental protection under the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall
conduct unified supervision over the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste within their own administrative
areas. The relevant departments of the said people’s governments shall be responsible for supervision over the prevention and control
of environmental pollution by solid waste within the scope of their respective duties.
The administrative department for construction under the State Council and the administrative departments for environmental sanitation
under the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for supervision over the cleaning up, collection,
storage, transportation and treatment of household waste.
Chapter II
Supervision over the Prevention
and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste
Article 11 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the relevant
administrative departments under the State Council and on the basis of the national standards for environmental quality and the country’s
economic and technological conditions, draw up the national technological standards for prevention and control of environmental pollution
by solid waste.
Article 12 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall establish a system for monitoring
environmental pollution by solid waste, formulate unified monitoring norms and, in conjunction with relevant departments, set up
a monitoring network.
The administrative departments for environment protection under the people’s governments of large and medium-sized cities shall regularly
publish information about the types of solid waste, the quantities generated and its treatment.
Article 13 For construction of a project where solid waste is generated or a project for storage, utilization or treatment of solid
waste, its impact on the environment shall be assessed according to law, and the State regulations governing environmental protection
in respect of construction projects shall be complied with.
Article 14 The necessary supporting facilities for prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid
waste specified in the environmental impact assessment document of a construction project shall be designed, constructed and put
into operation simultaneously with the main part of the project. The construction project may be put into production or use only
after the facilities for prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste are checked and accepted as qualified by
the original administrative department for environmental protection that examined and approved the environmental impact assessment
document. The facilities for prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste shall be checked and accepted simultaneously
with the main part of the project.
Article 15 The administrative department for environmental protection under the people’s government at or above the county level
and the administrative department for supervision over prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste shall have
the right to conduct, in compliance with their respective duties, on-the-spot inspection of the units located within the scope of
their jurisdiction that are involved in the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste. The units under inspection
shall give truthful reports of the situation and provide the necessary information. The inspection authority shall keep confidential
the technological know-how and business secrets of the units inspected.
When conducting on-the-spot inspection, the inspection authority may adopt such measures as conducting on-the-spot monitoring, collecting
samples, consulting or duplicating materials related to the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste. Inspectors
shall show their identification papers when they conduct on-the-spot inspection.
Chapter III
Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste
Section 1
General Regulations
Article 16 Units and individuals where solid waste is generated shall adopt measures to prevent or reduce environmental pollution
by solid waste.
Article 17 Units and individuals that collect, store, transport, utilize or treat solid waste shall take measures to prevent the
scattering, running off and spilling of solid waste, or other measures to prevent pollution of the environment; they shall not dump
or pile up, without authorization, or discard or litter solid waste.
No unit or individual may dump solid waste into rivers, lakes, canals, channels, reservoirs, or tidal flats and slopes below the
highest waterline, or other places where dumping and piling up of waste is prohibited by laws and regulations.
Article 18 Products and packing materials shall be designed and manufactured in compliance with the State regulations governing cleaner
production. The administrative department for standardization under the State Council shall, on the basis of the economic and technological
conditions of the State, in light of the prevention and control of environment pollution by solid waste and in compliance with the
technical requirements of the products, take charge of formulating relevant standards to prevent environmental pollution by over-packing.
The enterprises, which manufacture, sell or import products and packaging materials included in the compulsory recovery catalog according
to law, shall recover the said products and packaging materials according to the relevant regulations of the State.
Article 19 The State encourages research institutions and manufactures to conduct research in and manufacture thin-film sheetings
and product packaging materials that are easy to be recycled or treated, or are degradable in the environment.
Units and individuals that use agricultural thin-film shall take measures to recycle it or other measures in order to prevent or
reduce environmental pollution by such film.
Article 20 An entity engaged in raising livestock and poultry in a large scale shall, in conformity with relevant State regulations,
collect, store, utilize or treat the excrement and urine discharge by the livestock and poultry, in order to prevent environmental
pollution.
Open-air burning of stalks in densely-populated areas, in the neighboring areas of airports, on the peripheries of the main lines
of communications and in the areas delimited by local people’s governments is prohibited.
Article 21 Management and maintenance of facilities, equipment and grounds for collection, storage, transportation and treatment
of solid waste shall be improved so as to ensure their normal operation and use.
Article 22 Constructing of facilities and grounds for concentrated storage and treatment of industrial solid waste or landfills for
household waste within the nature reserves, scenic spots, historical sites, drinking water source reserves, capital farmland reserves
as delimited by the State Council, the relevant competent departments under the State Council and the people’s governments of provinces,
autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government and within other zones that need special protection
is prohibited.
Article 23 For transporting solid waste out of the administrative area of a province, autonomous region, or municipality directly
under the Central Government for storage or treatment, an application shall be submitted to the administrative department for environmental
protection under the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government
of the area where the solid waste is to be moved out. The administrative department for environmental protection of the people’s
government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government of the area where the solid
waste is to be moved out may give approval to the transporting of the solid waste out of its administrative area only after it has
consulted with, and won the consent of the administrative department for environmental protection of the people’s government of the
province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government of the area for acceptance of the solid waste.
No solid waste may be transported elsewhere without approval.
Article 24 Importing of solid waste from outside of the territory of the People’s Republic of China for dumping, piling up or treating
is prohibited.
Article 25 Importing of solid waste that cannot be used as raw materials or utilized after being made innocuous is prohibited; as
a means of control, the solid waste that can be used as raw materials shall be classified as solid waste the import of which is restricted
and solid waste the import of which is automatically permitted.
The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the department in charge
of foreign trade under the State Council, the department in charge of comprehensive and macro-economic control under the State Council,
the General Administration of Customs and the department in charge of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine under the State
Council, formulate, readjust and publish the catalogs of solid waste the import of which is banned, restricted or automatically permitted.
Importing of solid waste placed in the catalog of solid waste the import of which is banned is prohibited. Importing of solid waste
placed in the catalog of solid waste the import of which is restricted shall be subject to examination and approval by the administrative
department for environmental protection under the State Council in conjunction with the department in charge of foreign trade under
the State Council. For importing of solid waste placed in the catalog of solid waste the import of which is automatically permitted,
the formalities for automatic permission shall be gone through according to law.
The solid waste imported shall conform to the national standards for environmental protection and shall be checked and accepted as
qualified by the department in charge of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine.
The specific administrative measures for import of solid waste shall be formulated by the administrative department for environmental
protection under the State Council, in conjunction with the department in charge of foreign trade under the State Council, the department
in charge of comprehensive and macro-economic control under the State Council, the General Administration of Customs and the department
in charge of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine under the State Council.
Article 26 Where an importer is not satisfied with the Customs for placing what he imports under its control over solid waste, he
may apply for administrative reconsideration according to law or bring an administrative suit before a people’s court.
Section 2
Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Industrial Solid Waste
Article 27 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the department
in charge of comprehensive and macro-economic control under the State Council and the relevant departments, give a definition of
environmental pollution by industrial solid waste, work out technical policies regarding the prevention and control thereof, and
take charge of disseminating advanced production techniques and equipment for prevention and control of environmental pollution by
industrial solid waste.
Article 28 The department in charge of comprehensive and macro-economic control under the State Council shall, in conjunction with
the relevant departments under the State Council, take charge of research in, development of and promotion of the wide use of, the
production techniques and equipment that will serve to reduce the quantity of industrial solid waste generated and its harmfulness,
and publish the catalogs of the outdated production techniques and equipment that generate industrial solid waste which causes serious
environmental pollution and that should be eliminated within a time limit.
Manufactures, sellers, importers and users shall respectively stop manufacturing, selling, importing and using the equipment, included
in the catalog mentioned in the preceding paragraph, within the time limit specified by the department in charge of comprehensive
and macro-economic control under the State Council in conjunction with the relevant departments under the State Council. Users of
the production techniques mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall stop using the same within the time limit specified by the department
in charge of comprehensive and macro-economic control under the State Council in conjunction with the relevant departments under
the State Council.
No equipment that is included in the catalog of the equipment to be eliminated within a time limit and that is eliminated accordingly
shall be transferred to another entity for use.
Article 29 The relevant departments of the people’s governments at or above the county level shall formulate work plans for prevention
and control of environmental pollution by industrial solid waste, in order to promote the wide use of the advanced production techniques
and equipment which can serve to reduce the quantity of industrial solid waste generated and its harmfulness and push forward the
work for prevention and control of environmental pollution by industrial solid waste.
Article 30 Units where industrial solid waste is generated shall establish and improve the responsibility system for prevention and
control of environmental pollution and adopt measures for prevention and control of environmental pollution by industrial solid waste.
Article 31 Enterprises and institutions shall rationally select and use raw materials, energy and other resources and employ advanced
production techniques and equipment, in order to reduce the quantity of industrial solid waste generated and its harmfulness.
Article 32 The State institutes a system of report and registration for industrial solid waste.
Units where industrial solid waste is generated shall, in accordance with the regulations of the administrative department for environmental
protection under the State Council, provide information about the types, quantity, flow direction, storage, treatment, etc. of industrial
solid waste to the administrative department for environmental protection of the local people’s governments at or above the county
level in the places where they are located.
Where substantial changes are to be made in the matters that need to be reported as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the units
shall report promptly.
Article 33 Enterprises and institutions shall, on the basis of their economic and technical conditions, recycle industrial solid
waste generated; with regard to industrial solid waste that is not to be recycled temporarily or that cannot be recycled, they shall,
in accordance with the regulations of the administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council, build facilities
and grounds for its storage, classify it in different types for safe storage or adopt measures to make it innocuous through treatment.
The facilities and grounds for storage or treatment of industrial solid waste shall be built in conformity with the national standards
for environmental protection.
Article 34 Closing down, leaving idle or dismantling, without authorization, facilities or grounds for prevention and control of
environmental pollution by industrial solid waste is prohibited. Where it is really necessary to do so, the matter shall be subject
to examination and approval by the administrative department for environmental protection of the local people’s governments at or
above the county level at the places where the facilities or grounds are located, and measures shall be taken to prevent environmental
pollution.
Article 35 If a unit where industrial solid waste is generated need to be terminated, it shall, in advance, take measures to prevent
and control pollution from the facilities and grounds for storage or treatment of industrial solid waste and make proper arrangements
in respect of the untreated industrial solid waste to prevent environmental pollution.
Where the unit where industrial solid waste is generated is changed, the new unit shall, in accordance with the State regulations
for environmental protection, make safety treatment of the industrial solid waste that has not been treated and of the facilities
and grounds for its storage or treatment, or adopt measures to ensure the safe operation of such facilities and grounds. Where the
parties before the change is made have agreed otherwise in respect of their responsibilities for prevention and control of pollution
by industrial solid waste and by the facilities and grounds for its storage and treatment, their agreement shall prevail; but they
shall not thus be relieved of their duty to prevent and control pollution.
The expanses for safe treatment of the industrial solid waste that has been left untreated by the unit terminated before implementation
of this Law and for safe treatment of the facilities and grounds for storage or treatment of such waste shall be borne by the people’s
government concerned; but if the land use right enjoyed by such unit has been transferred according to law, the said expanses shall
be borne by the transferee of the said right. If the parties have agreed otherwise, their agreement shall prevail; but they shall
not thus be relieved of their duty to prevent and control pollution.
Article 36 Mining enterprises shall adopt scientific mining and dressing techniques in order to reduce the quantity of mining solid
waste to be generated and stored, such as tailings, gangue and ettle.
When ceasing to use the facilities for the storage of such mining solid waste as tailings, gangue and ettle, mining enterprises shall,
in accordance with the State regulations for environmental protection, close the facilities in order to prevent environmental pollution
and ecological damage.
Article 37 Scrapped electrical appliances, automobiles and vessels shall be dismantled, utilized and disposed of in compliance with
the relevant laws and regulations, and measures shall be taken to prevent environmental pollution.
Section 3
Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Household Waste
Article 38 People’s governments at or above the county level shall make overall plans for constructing facilities for collecting,
transporting and treating urban and rural household waste, increase its utilization ratio and the proportion in which it is made
innocuous through treatment, promote its industrialized collection and treatment, and gradually establish a sound social service
system for prevention and control of environmental pollution by household waste.
Article 39 The administrative departments for environmental protection of the local people’s governments at or above the county level
shall take charge of cleaning up, collecting, transporting and treating urban household waste. They may, by such means as bid invitation,
select qualified units to clean up, collect, transport and treat household waste.
Article 40 Urban household waste shall, in accordance with the regulations of the administrative departments for environmental sanitation,
be placed at designated points and shall not be dumped, littered or piled up at will.
Article 41 Urban household waste shall be cleaned up, collected, transported and treated in compliance with the State regulations
for environmental protection and sanitation, in order to prevent environmental pollution.
Article 42 Urban household waste shall be cleaned up and transported in a timely manner, it shall gradually be classified in different
categories for collection and transportation, and efforts shall be made to have it rationally utilized and turned into something
innocuous through treatment.
Article 43 Urban people’s governments shall, in a planned way, improve the fuel mix, and develop coal gas, natural gas, liquefied
gas and other clean energy for use in cities.
The relevant departments of an urban people’s government shall arrange for the supply of clean vegetables in cities, in order to
reduce the quantity of urban household waste.
The relevant departments of an urban people’s government shall make overall plans to rationally establish networks for purchasing
household waste, in order to promote the recycling of such waste.
Article 44 Facilities and grounds for treatment of household waste shall be built in compliance with the standards for environmental
protection and sanitation prescribed by the administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council and the
administrative department for construction under the State Council.
Unauthorized closing, leaving idle and dismantling of facilities and grounds for treatment of household waste is prohibited. If it
is really necessary to close, leave idle or dismantle such facilities and grounds, the matter shall be subject to examination and
approval by the administrative department for environmental sanitation and the administrative department for environmental protection
of the local people’s government at or above the county level, and measures shall be taken to prevent environmental pollution.
Article 45 Recycled materials from household waste must be used in accordance with the purposes or standards specified by the State
and shall not be used for the manufacture of products that may cause harm to human health.
Article 46 Construction units shall have their solid waste, left in the course of construction, promptly cleaned up and moved away,
and have it utilized or treated in compliance with the regulations of the administrative department for environmental sanitation.
Article 47 Units engaged in public transportation shall, in accordance with relevant State regulations, have the household waste,
which is scattered in the course of transportation, cleaned up and collected.
Article 48 Units engaged in developing new urban areas, redeveloping existing urban areas and developing residential quarters, or
engaged in the operation and management of public facilities and grounds such as airports, wharves, bus stops or railway stations,
parks or shops shall, in accordance with the State regulations for environmental sanitation, construct supporting facilities for
collecting household waste.
Article 49 The specific measures for preventing and controlling environmental pollution by rural household waste shall be formulated
in local regulations.
Chapter IV
Special Regulations for Prevention
and Control of Environmental Pollution by Hazardous Waste
Article 50 The provisions of this Chapter shall be applicable to prevention and control of environmental pollution by hazardous waste.
With regard to cases for which no provisions are formulated in this Chapter, other relevant provisions of this Law shall apply.
Article 51 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall, in conjunction with the relevant
departments under the State Council, formulate the national catalog of hazardous waste, lay down unified criteria, methods and signs
for identifying, differentiating and distinguishing hazardous waste.
Article 52 Distinguishing signs of hazardous waste shall be put on the containers and packages of hazardous waste as well as on the
facilities and grounds for collection, storage, transportation and treatment of such waste.
Article 53 Units where hazardous waste is generated shall, in accordance with relevant State regulations, formulate plans for control
of hazardous waste and provide information about the types, quantities, flow direction, storage, treatment, etc. of hazardous waste
to the administrative departments for environmental protection of the local people’s governments at or above the county level in
the places where they are located.
The plan for control of hazardous waste as mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall include the measures for reducing the quantity
of hazardous waste generated and its harmfulness and the measures for storing, utilizing and treating such waste. The plan for control
of hazardous waste shall be submitted for the record to the administrative departments for environmental protection of the local
people’s governments at or above the county level in the places where the units where hazardous waste is generated are located.
Where major changes are to be made in the matters reported or in the plans for control of hazardous waste as mentioned in this Article,
timely application is required.
Article 54 The administrative department for environmental protection under the State Council shall, in con
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