[Video/Yongpai app]

A French delegation visiting Ningbo praised the city's advanced waste-to-resource systems, saying they plan to bring its experience back to Rouen as a model for urban sustainability.

Representatives from France's Rouen-Ningbo Friendship Committee visited two key facilities in Ningbo, including a construction waste recycling plant and a modern waste-to-energy incineration site, on April 23.

At Ningbo Haigong Eco-Friendly Building Materials Co, the delegation learned that the facility processes around 400,000 metric tons of construction and renovation waste annually, achieving full resource recovery. It produces roughly 200,000 tons of recycled aggregates and 90 million bricks each year.

Vincent Lemarchand, president of the Rouen-Ningbo Friendship Committee, said he was impressed by the level of technology on display. He noted it was his first time seeing such an integrated system for construction waste treatment, and showed particular interest in lightweight building materials made from recycled waste.

The delegation later visited Ningbo Dongqiao Environmental Protection Co, where household waste is incinerated. The plant processes more than 1,500 tons of waste per day, with flue gas treated to meet strict emission standards that reportedly outperform both national and EU requirements.