In 2006, China surpassed the United States to become the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. However, while each U.S. citizen produces about 24 metric tons of CO2, Chinese citizens emit merely 3. I have certainly witnessed this difference in the culture and in my own lifestyle since we have been in Shanghai. However, there are also many things that appear to be blatantly wasteful. The most prevalent example is the to-go food containers, which include Styrofoam boxes, wooden chopsticks, and small plastic bags. Many people get street food or cheap restaurant food to-go and this results in a countless amount of waste from every meal. Unfortunately, even if you choose to eat at the restaurant, many will use plastic bags to cover the bowls to cut down on dishwashing. This habit, along with many other ones, speak to the fact that no country or culture is perfect when it comes to being green
Here are a few major points that exemplify aspects of China’s low-carbon living:
1. Dual-flush toilets—When there are Western-style toilets, which is rare since squat-style toilets are the norm, they are almost always dual-flush. It seems so strange that this technology has not been widely implemented in the U.S. yet. However, it could be because in the U.S., toilets were already widely installed before the technology was developed, so now we are slowly in the process of retrofitting. In China, by the time they began to install Western-style toilets, the technology was ready to be put to use.
2. Hand-washed laundry—Laundromats do not exist in Shanghai, so unless you want to pay per-item for laundry or dry-cleaning services, you have to wash your clothes by hand and let them hang dry. Most people hang their clothes on poles and strings outside their windows. This has been a very interesting and surprisingly rewarding adaptation in my life.
3. Semi-local, fresh food—On nearly every block and street corner in China’s neighborhoods you can find fresh fruit stands offering oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, and countless other options. A bit less frequent are wet markets, which are basically indoor farmers’ markets, offering fruits, vegetables, pastas, meats, and fish. This food system feels like what America used to look like, with the butcher and baker just down the street. I dearly hope that this aspect of Chinese culture persists. I must comment about the “semi-local” aspect of this food—sometimes, you can find apples from New Zealand or grapes from the United States even. But this is not the norm.
4. Bicycles galore—People in China will use bicycles rain or shine for every purpose imaginable. They will strap on an endless variety of items or attach a cart chocked full of goods. From water jugs to propane tanks to mattresses—if it needs to be transported, they will make it happen. It’s quite fascinating and while I’m sure this will change as the country continues to develop and more people can afford cars and trucks, I can’t imagine that bicycles will disappear completely from the roads.
5. Recycling—While there are recycling bins next to almost every garbage bin around the city, people still do not recycle appropriately, much like in the U.S. However, unlike the States, there are people who will go around to waste bins and pick out the recyclable items to make some cash off of the raw materials. In fact, this informal recycling sector plays a significant role in China’s circular economy.
