Seedlings where there was once a digital waste collecting hub. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

In 2017, China Daily returned to the villages and compared the current situation with photos taken five years ago. Meadows and lines of seedlings have taken the place of the waste areas. New disposal hubs have been built in planned areas outside Beijing and equipped with new technology and infrastructure that makes recycling more eco-friendly and efficient.

With a better environment, the transformation of waste disposal villages will contribute to Beijing's environmental improvement and help get rid of its non-capital functions.