The push for garbage classification has advanced sluggishly¹ and mostly fruitlessly in much of China, but Beijing is adopting an innovative² way to try and encourage the practice in the capital.

在中国大部分地区，垃圾的分类这一工作进展相当缓慢并且徒劳无益。但是北京现在正在采取一种创新手段，来鼓励首都的垃圾分类工作的进行。

At a recent news briefing, Beijing's sanitation³ department said the capital will popularize the sorting of garbage through the application of quick response codes. Under the new system residents who register for an account on China's most popular instant messaging app, WeChat, will receive reward points that they can swap⁴ for commodities and even cash when they sort their garbage.

根据最新消息，北京环境卫生部门表示，将采用二维码技术推广生活垃圾分类。在新的分类系统下，微信用户将垃圾分类后，即可收到奖励积分，积分可以用来兑换商品甚至现金。

The system has been successfully piloted in some residential⁵ areas, and is due to be extended to 350 residential communities covering more than 1 million residents next year.

这种垃圾分类奖励体系已经在一些社区成功试点，并将于明年推广到350个小区，覆盖人口有望超过100万。

Although the actual effects of the garbage classification reward program will be known only after some time, the move should be applauded.

虽然垃圾分类奖励体系的实际效果还有待时间的检验，但是这一举措应该给予表扬。

The city government also plans to launch a retrieval mechanism⁶ for bulky objects such as used furniture and home appliances. Residents can apply for collection services through Wechat.

北京市政府还计划推行大件物品回收机制，比如旧家具家电。市民可通过微信申请上门回收服务。