A publicity event of promoting garbage sorting was held in Beijing on October 25.

Initiated by the Women's Federation of Haidian District, in Beijing, the activity aims to encourage families to involve themselves more in environmental protection, based on a better understanding of the issues.

"The publicity drive plans to give full play to the exemplary role of scientists and their families to motivate more people to protect the clear water and blue sky," said Wu Hongrong, president of the district's women's federation.

One of the scientist guests, Wang Yuanzhuo, dean of the big data center at the Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has published an illustrated popular science book called the Science of Sci-fi Movies, opening the door of scientific thinking to thousands of children. Wang noted the importance and necessity of telling children about garbage sorting from a scientific perspective.

"Parents should be the pathfinders for children, helping them step into the 'kingdom of curiosity' 
and cultivating scientific thinking. For the issue of garbage sorting, parents can guide children to think critically and analyze the garbage's affect on the environment. Once they figure it out by themselves, they will naturally internalize the new environmental protection concept and put it into action," he explained.

Another invitee, Hou Ning — who works at the National Library Arts Center — and her parents shared a "family invention diary" to chart how the family invented environmental protection items such as an automatic water reuse device and an energy-saving kettle, and gained 37 invention patents. Both Hou's family and her parents have been honored the title of the National Most Beautiful Family.  

"After the introduction of Beijing's garbage sorting regulations, our family started to study the problems encountered in household garbage sorting and waste reduction, hoping to contribute more environmentally-friendly inventions," Hou said.

In addition, a sitcom was staged to demonstrate the stories of the district's women's federation and local community workers who publicized, supervised and guided residents to implement garbage classification. A competitive quiz was also carried out to test the families' garbage sorting knowledge.

(Women of China)