支付宝垃圾分类小程序三天新增用户数突破一百万 – 36Kr
What happened: Mini-program guides for sorting trash on Alibaba’s fintech affiliate app Alipay have hit 1 million users just three days into Shanghai’s tough new regime on how citizens get rid of their waste. User numbers are also growing in eastern Zhejiang, southern Guangdong, northern Tianjin, and in the capital Beijing, where similar rules are expected soon. The number of users is based on all of the trash sorting apps hosted on Alipay, a company spokesperson told TechNode.
Why important: Shanghai authorities sent 654 notices to companies and individuals on July 1 for violating the new rules, which are impacting every resident in the city. The national government aims to establish waste sorting, disposal, and recycling systems in 46 key cities before 2020, with investment expected to flow into waste management startups. More than 60 developers from eastern China have submitted mini-program plans related to the sector so far this week, some of which use voice recognition, image recognition, and AR.