Landfill Ecological Restoration: How Guiyang 'Swallows Waste and Spits Out Power
In early spring, standing atop the hillside of Mayan Village in Maijia Town, Baiyun District of Guiyang City, one can see a once-active landfill now covered in vibrant green HDPE film, resembling an armored hillside. Neatly aligned gas collection pipes run along the contours of the terrain, resembling a network of veins under this “green armor.”
“This is the Bilidam Landfill, which served Guiyang for 16 years,” explained Wu Bin, Director of Operations and Safety at Guiyang Jinghuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. “It officially ceased waste intake in September 2022 and has since entered its post-closure maintenance phase.” Daily routines now include inspecting the landfill body, repairing or replacing the HDPE cover, collecting and treating landfill gas and leachate, and maintaining the rainwater drainage system.
Since its launch in 2005, the Bilidam Landfill had accepted a cumulative total of 4.28 million cubic meters of municipal solid waste. “At its peak, the landfill processed over 2,400 tons of waste per day—about two-thirds of the city's daily output,” Wu added. As waste volumes soared, landfill capacity became exhausted. To bridge the gap before a new incineration project was completed, an emergency storage cell was constructed in June 2021 and began operations in December the same year. This ensured seamless waste disposal until the Guiyang Waste-to-Energy Plant was fully commissioned in September 2022, officially marking the end of the landfill’s mission.
One of the most critical closure tasks is the application of the HDPE membrane. “A 2.0 mm-thick HDPE layer is essential,” Wu explained. “The closure system includes gas and water drainage layers, geotextile, clay liner, and topsoil for vegetation. This setup prevents rainwater from seeping into the waste pile and controls odor emissions.”
The black pipes on the surface hint at the residual life within. “These vertical wells, reaching 20–30 meters underground, are connected to a network of pipelines that collect tens of thousands of cubic meters of landfill gas daily,” said Wu. “Over 100 such wells feed biogas into generators for electricity production—reducing safety risks while recycling energy.”
Though landfill operations have ceased, a leachate treatment plant at the site continues running. A 32,000 m³ buffer tank collects leachate, which then undergoes a series of treatments—biological, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis—transforming dark green waste liquid into clear, discharge-compliant effluent. “The landfill is closed, but leachate treatment will continue for years,” Wu emphasized. Data from the treatment facility is uploaded every two hours to the provincial pollution monitoring platform, with 24/7 video surveillance at the discharge outlet.
Water treatment is only part of the plan. “In accordance with the national Technical Specifications for Landfill Closure, ecological restoration will follow once the landfill body stabilizes,” Wu stated.
Meanwhile, at the Baiyun Waste-to-Energy Plant, minimalist geometric architecture defines its facade, with the slogan “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” prominently displayed—shattering stereotypes of traditional waste facilities. Inside the waste unloading area, enclosed garbage trucks ascend a trestle after being weighed precisely. Guided into a sealed tipping hall, they dump household waste into a 30-meter-deep waste pit. Behind double-glazed windows, a mountain of nearly 10,000 tons of garbage is constantly churned to accelerate fermentation. The facility maintains a -50 Pa negative pressure environment, with odorous gases continuously drawn into the incineration system as combustion air. Real-time air quality screens show hydrogen sulfide levels consistently at 0 ppm.
“Guiyang met the provincial goal of zero landfill for raw household waste two years ahead of schedule in 2023,” noted Li Shufeng, an engineer at the Guiyang Environmental Sanitation Management Service Center. “This achievement was made possible by a robust waste governance system built around source separation, categorized collection and transportation, preliminary treatment, and terminal disposal.”
Since 2022, 36 sorting and transfer centers have been constructed, including 21 specifically for classified waste. “We decommissioned all 77 outdated transfer stations in the city to ensure a smarter, greener, and more efficient transfer system,” said Li. Addressing wet waste—which makes up nearly 40% of household garbage—two regional facilities in Beierlande and Qianying have been launched. “These handle over 1,100 tons of kitchen and food waste daily, with recovered grease processed into biodiesel,” Li added. A larger “kitchen + food waste” joint treatment project is underway to further enhance wet waste processing capacity.
Today, Guiyang’s incineration system is formidable: 2,400 tons/day in Huaxi, 2,250 tons/day in Baiyun, and 500 tons/day in Qingzhen. These lines operate around the clock, reducing household waste volume by over 90%. When running at full capacity, the system can generate 900 million kWh annually—enough to power 400,000 households.
“We’ll continue to refine Guiyang’s end-to-end classified waste governance model,” Li concluded. “This includes improving the integrated management system for collection, sorting, transfer, and treatment, accelerating construction of the Kaiyang Waste-to-Energy Project and Qingzhen kitchen waste facility, and launching comprehensive closure programs for all decommissioned landfills.”
“These efforts will further enhance waste resource utilization and environmental safety, reduce resource loss and pollution, and contribute to Guiyang’s journey toward becoming a high-quality, ‘zero-waste city’ and strong provincial capital.”