On the windswept Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, herder Sonam Tsering recalls when winter gales transformed his pastures into plastic wastelands. “It was heartbreaking to see my pasture littered with plastic bags,” said Tsering from Gangcha county, noting the lethal threat to livestock that accidentally ingested the debris. Today, his reality has transformed dramatically through a simple phone call that ensures prompt waste collection.
This change stems from a fundamental shift in waste management strategies around Qinghai Lake, one of the world’s highest plateau lakes and a crucial ecological barrier for Northwest China. For two decades, more than ten landfills occupying over 500,000 square meters have processed household waste in ecologically sensitive grasslands and valleys. The plateau’s extreme cold and low oxygen levels severely delayed natural degradation, while seasonal winds scattered plastic waste across fragile ecosystems.
In 2023, Qinghai province launched its first large-scale waste-to-energy facility in Xining, triggering a systematic overhaul. Counties surrounding the lake now collect and transport waste through township and county-level networks to Xining for incineration. Between June 2024 and May 2025, nearly 30,000 tonnes of waste made this journey in approximately 2,000 truckloads.
The incineration process operates at temperatures exceeding 850°C, effectively breaking down harmful substances through fermentation and high-temperature combustion. “Flue gas undergoes rigorous treatment through de-acidification, absorption and dust removal processes,” explained Wang Yongpeng, head of the Xining project, ensuring emissions meet environmental standards. The process has additionally generated approximately 15 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.
This waste management transformation coincides with remarkable ecological recovery. Qinghai Lake has experienced expanding water levels for twenty consecutive years, with satellite data from September 2024 recording a surface area of 4,650.08 square kilometers. Biodiversity has flourished alongside these conservation efforts.
China’s national waste management paradigm has shifted dramatically from landfill dependence to advanced incineration. Over 1,000 large-scale incineration plants now process more than 1.1 million tonnes daily nationwide—equivalent to filling 440 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The Qinghai Lake initiative provides a pioneering model for waste disposal in high-altitude, low-oxygen environments globally.