NAIROBI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese cities -- Hangzhou, Sanya, and Suzhou -- were on Friday recognized by a United Nations (UN) advisory board for taking bold and ambitious steps to reduce waste and advance the circular economy.

The cities were among 20 worldwide named to the inaugural 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste initiative, led by the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste with support from the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the UN Environment Program (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The recognition comes for their development of forward-looking waste management plans ahead of the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30.

The initiative aims to spotlight cities demonstrating innovative approaches to reducing waste, promoting circular economy solutions, and building more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban systems, according to a joint UNEP/UN-Habitat statement released in Nairobi.

The selected cities, including the three from China, are active in areas such as food waste prevention, organic waste management, inclusive recycling tailored for informal workers, and community advocacy to drive behavioral change.

Anaclaudia Rossbach, UN-Habitat executive director, noted that the initiative demonstrates how local action, supported by strong governance and partnerships, can accelerate the shift toward more resilient, circular, and inclusive urban systems.

Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director, hailed strong producer responsibility models in Suzhou and other cities worldwide, which have helped tackle pollution and the waste crisis while reimagining economies through innovation, circularity, and equity.

According to the statement, humanity generates more than 2.1 billion tonnes of municipal and solid waste annually, making cities a vital part of global efforts to tackle the waste crisis and its impacts on climate, biodiversity, public health, and livelihoods. ■