World Bank approves loan for plastic pollution reduction in China’s Shaanxi
The World Bank has approved a loan worth 250 million U.S. dollars to help mitigate plastic pollution in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. The funds will be used to reduce plastic pollution from municipal solid waste and agricultural plastic film in the rural areas of the province and improve Shaanxi’s plastic waste management with potential lessons for the national level, according to the bank. The loan is also expected to help China cut greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen provincial regulations and institutional capacities, as well as establish models for urban and rural integration in waste management, the bank said. Mara Warwick, World Bank Country Director for China, Mongolia, and Korea, stressed that the focus of the project will be put on integrated systems for planning, financing, treatment facility development, stakeholder engagement, and performance evaluation. The project will bring international practices to China and demonstrate a scalable approach toward the transformation of waste management in rural areas of the country, she said.