From May 20 to 23, the 18th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology (ICWMT18) was successfully held in Sanya, Hainan Province. The conference was hosted by Tsinghua University, the People's Government of Sanya City, Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province, and China Association of Environmental Protection Industry. The event was organized by Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific and Sanya Bureau of Ecology and Environment, with support from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and Center for Environmental Education and Communications of Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

The conference comprised main conference, English parallel meeting, and 21 sub-forums, attracting over 900 in-person participants, while online participants covering 31 countries and regions such as Algeria, Russia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the United States, Bangladesh, India, and the United Kingdom. The live stream was watched by a total of 6,744,600. Furthermore, the conference invited 320 representatives from 121 "Zero-Waste city" construction cities across 16 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government’s ecological environment departments (bureaus) to participate, providing an important exchange platform and technical support for promoting the construction of " Zero-Waste City" in China and the collaborative work of pollution reduction and carbon reduction.

Scenes of the Conference

Opening ceremony was held on 21 May, chaired by Li Jinhui, professor of School of Environment at Tsinghua University and Executive Director of Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, while Lu Yi, Vice Mayor of the People's Government of Sanya City, Zhang Xinfang, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province, Zhou Zhiqiang, Level I Bureau Rank Official, Department of Solid Waste and Chemicals, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, Guo Chengzhan, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of China Association of Environmental Protection Industry, and Hao Jiming, professor at Tsinghua University, the Chairperson of the Conference's Scientific Committee, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, delivered speeches respectively. In addition, Erik Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, sent a congratulatory letter.

Zhao Hualin, former Chairman of the Supervisory Board of State-owned Key Large Enterprises under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and fourth Director of Basel Convention Regional Center for Asia and the Pacific, Dai Xiaohu, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University, and Geng Yong, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presided over the Academician Forum. Du Xiangwan, academician and former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and advisor of the National Climate Change Expert Committee, Zhao Xiangeng, academician and former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and leader of the National Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Standardization Group, Hou Li'an, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of the Rocket Force University of Engineering, Wang Qi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Sichuan University, Chai Liyuan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Vice President of the Central South University, Seeram Ramakrishna, professor of the National University of Singapore and academician of UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Engineering Singapore and the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Thomas H. Christensen, academician of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and the professor of Technical University of Denmark, centered on the topic of "Construction of Zero Waste City and Carbon Reduction, Pollution Control, Increasing Green and Growth", presented their reports.

Additionally, the "Invited Keynote Report" session featured presentations from seven experts and scholars, namely Gao Xingbao, Director of the Solid Division at the Department of Solid Waste and Chemicals, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China; Dai Xiaohu, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University; Geng Yong, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Xi Beidou, Vice President and professor at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences; and Chen Guanyi, Vice President and Professor at Tianjin University of Commerce. The "Keynote Report" session showcased presentations by Huang Qifei, Director of the Institute of Solids at the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences; Prof. Lin Zhang, Deputy Director of the Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control and Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution at Central South University; and Gu Guangye, Party Secretary and Director of Sanya Municipal Bureau of Ecological and Environment. The conference report session addressed seven major topics, including Hazardous Waste Management and Risk Prevention, E-waste Recycling and Associated Pollution Control, Integrated Utilization of Industrial Solid Waste, Construction Technology and Model Innovation for ' Zero-Waste City', Household Refuse Classification and Disposal Technology, Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions, and Biomass Waste Treatment and Energy Utilization as Resources and Energy .

The English parallel meeting took place on May 22, featuring presentations by 15 internationally renowned experts and scholars. Among them were Oladele·A Ogunseitan, President of the University of California (Irvine) and Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as Paul Ekins from the School of Resources and Environmental Policy at the University College London. Saleem H. Ali, a Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware, USA, was also among the distinguished presenters. The conference focused on key topics including " Zero-Waste City," "Plastic Waste," "Electronic Waste," "Industrial Solid Waste," and " Circular Economy." There were 21 sub-forums, such as the "Zero-waste City Construction Management and Practice Forum," "The 4th Zero-Waste City High-end Forum," "Global Circular Economy Forum," "Forum on Plastic Waste and POPs in Asia Pacific Region," "The 3rd Interdisciplinary Frontier Academic Seminar on Material Cycle and Carbon Neutrality," and "Student Forum."

Additionally, during the same period, the conference organized three technical inspection routes: the Zero-Waste Scenic Spot, Plastic-free Ecological, and Circular Economy Industrial Park. In the "Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction Innovative Technologies and Equipment Exhibition," 22 environmental protection enterprises showcased their innovative technologies, excellent equipment, environmentally friendly materials, and new products in the fields of hazardous waste, industrial solid waste, construction waste, renewable resources, and other solid wastes.

Technical Inspection

Enterprises Exhibition