A trash sorting campaign has given villages in Shennongjia Natural Reserve in Central China's Hubei province a new look.

Villager Zhang Mingyou in Huangbaiqian village, Shennongjia, Hubei province, loved drinking beer and usually threw empty cans in his backyard.

Within no time the pile in his backyard grew so big that neighbors began calling it a "beer can hill".

In 2018, a trash sorting campaign started in Dajiuhu township, including Huangbaiqian village, encouraging villagers to sort waste properly.

A garbage collection team cleaned Zhang's backyard and took beer cans away and informed him that the cans should be recycled.

Now Zhang's backyard is full of grass and even has a walnut tree.

"It looks better and smells better," Zhang said.

In rural areas, trash sorting is more difficult than in urban areas because rural residents usually live faraway that makes waste collection difficult.

Also, many in rural areas are not aware of trash sorting.

Since Huangbaiqian village is near the Shennongjia National Park, the need for environmental protection is high.

In the campaign, local government officials cooperate with a trash sorting company, encouraging villagers to sort recycling items by putting them in bins accordingly. Each household gets a sticker with a code. Villagers put the stickers on their household trash bags and place the bags in designated areas. Workers of the trash sorting company collect the bags at particular spot, scan the code, weigh the recycling waste and record it. Villagers gain points based on the weight of the garbage, and the points can be used as token to trade supplies in the village.

Harmful garbage is placed separately to minimize environmental damage.

The company empties each garbage can in the village every week and puts them in a hub. Once the hub is full, the company transports the waste to the township and handles it accordingly.

"Roads in the village are cleaner and I rarely see trash on the street," Zhang said.