Going “green” has never been as urgent as it is today, and fortunately for the planet, the world’s biggest polluter has finally begun jumping on the environmental bandwagon. China is home to the world’s largest coal production industry, yet simultaneously is one of the most ambitious countries in terms of its goals of cutting carbon emissions by 40 to 45% by 2020. Though last December’s Copenhagen Climate Summit was said to be a failure and some countries accused China of obstructing the conference, Chinese leaders have never before been as vocal about environmental issues as now. The words “环保” (environmental protection) have never been used as readily as now, whether amongst the people, in the media or by major companies. The fact that China’s leaders are stepping up their game in taking action to tackle climate change is obviously a huge step forward in achieving any kind of progress, but that on its own is not enough. We – the people residing in China and who are the majority of the population, also need to contribute our fair share towards making this country, and even this world a cleaner, better place. It’s time to leave the excuses at home and take action. Every little bit helps and this article highlights just some of the simple ways you can make Beijing a greener place.

1. Use public transport or cycle
This measure seems all too obvious, but the truth is that many of us would rather take taxis than tackle Beijing’s public transport system. We complain that the subway and buses are too crowded, but at the same time we’d like to have more blue skies and better air quality. But, with over 5 million cars expected on Beijing roads by 2015 and more and more foreigners joining the trend of buying cars in the city, how can we expect to have better air quality and live in a cleaner city? By shooting more silver-iodide pellets into the atmosp here maybe? Buses cost 4 mao per trip with an IC card or just 1 RMB without, while Beijing’s ever expanding subway system costs a mere 2 RMB per ride. For advice on how to ride a bus in Beijing click here. Meanwhile, Beijing is one of the world’s most suitable cities for cycling – dedicated cycling lanes, a flat terrain, cheap bicycle prices… Besides bad weather, what excuse is there? If its the air pollution you’re worried about then go buy a good face mask for a couple of kuai; problem solved. Or if time is an issue then leave the house earlier and put your time management skills to use. Choosing to cycle instead of driving will not only save you money and reduce carbon emissions, but it's also a good means of staying fit and slim. Perfect!

2. Use your own shopping bags
On June 1st 2008, China issued a ban on free plastic bags at shops and supermarkets. Within just two months of the ban, China’s largest plastic bag manufacturer Suiping Huaqiang Plastic shut down. Though the factory’s closure has lead to a 250,000 ton reduction of plastic bags per annum, there’s still a lot more room for further progress. Plastic bags cost a mere 2 mao, hardly a sum worth losing sleep over, which is why many of us are careless when it comes to remembering to bring our own re-usable shopping bags. We should take the small green Island of Ireland as a model; there the introduction of plastic bag levies lead to a whopping 90% reduction of plastic bag circulation, about 277 million bags fewer than normal. If we all just remember to take a linen bag with us to the supermarkets here in Beijing, we too can slowly work towards achieving the same success here in China, and thereby significantly reducing the contamination of soil and water, marine life etc.

3. Recycle your rubbish
It’s true that Beijing lacks a strict household recycling system. Compared to many western countries that actually issue fines when household rubbish is not correctly separated, household recycling is not strictly enforced or monitored here. But, one of the main reasons for this is that most rubbish containers throughout the city are subject to a quite unique recycling system of its own. Almost round the clock, people scour through rubbish bins collecting any recyclable material they can get their hands on: plastic bottles, cardboard, Styrofoam, you name it. Most of these people actually depend on the income generated by collecting recyclable rubbish. However, you too can do your bit to ease their jobs. Leave your plastic and glass bottles and containers outside separately, as well as paper, cardboard etc. Also, Beijing’s street bins all have recyclable (可回收) and non-recyclable（不可回收）waste compartments, so make sure you throw your wrappers and used waste into the right section.

4. Buy Organic
Organic food or “绿色食品” as it is more commonly referred to in Chinese, has been significantly gaining popularity in recent years. Pesticides and fertilizers have destroyed the earth in many regions of China, leaving large swathes of farmland poisoned and unusable. However, China has steadily risen in the ranks for worldwide organic farmland use; from 45th in 2000 to 3rd in the world by 2005. As a result of growing interest in green produce and greater initiatives in organic farming, more and more health food stores stocking pesticide free foods are opening shop in Beijing. Spend a few kuai extra and save the planet. Here’s a list of natural food stores in Beijing.

5. Reduce your carbon footprint – buy local
It’s inevitable to crave comfort foods from home every now and again and to occasionally indulge in imported food products at the Western supermarket. But there are ways of significantly reducing your carbon footprint whilst still indulging in the things you miss from home. For example, one major item many of us can’t do without for too long is cheese. But, rather than buying the imported cheddar from New Zealand or the States, choose Yellow Valley cheeses. These are not only produced in China by a very competent Dutch cheese-maker, but use 100% organic milk too. Moreover, it’s never been a better time to buy Chinese produced chocolate than now. Dove, Cadbury’s and Mars all have factories here in China. The same goes for coffee. Nescafe not only tastes disgusting but it’s imported by the world’s biggest food and beverage producer Nestle. China has its very own coffee plantations yielding top quality coffee beans in Yunnan. Ground Yunnan coffee can be found in most major supermarkets and tastes a thousand times better than the excuse for coffee Nescafe offers.

6. Meet Eco Minded People in Beijing
The network of eco-minded people is growing rapidly here in Beijing and one such community is called “Greening the Beige.” They regularly organise “green” networking events, and advocate eco-minded, positive projects and creative works. Join them and be inspired: www.greeningthebeige.org .

There are many other ways of living more green in Beijing besides the tips mentioned above. Use a little common sense and just remember, a little sacrifice and effort goes a long way. As Gandhi so wisely said, “There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.” Next time, think twice about taking that taxi.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.