A key milestone has just been reached in the heart of Hongcun, a jewel of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture located in southeastern China. On Monday, September 14 at 9:00 a.m., the project teams and stakeholders supported by the Veolia Foundation mobilized to officially kick off the program.
Hongcun, famous for its traditional residences and its unique ox-shaped hydraulic system, is becoming an ecological testing ground. Facing modern environmental challenges and increasing tourist inflow, the village is now committing to a sustainable transformation through a zero-waste model.
Monday, September 14 marks the official launch of the project benefiting the historic village of Hongcun, located in Anhui Province.
Supported by the Veolia Foundation, this ambitious program combines financial backing and skills-based sponsorship to integrate this UNESCO World Heritage Site into a pioneering circular economy approach.
Tailored support: financial backing and field expertise
- Financial support dedicated to setting up local collection, sorting, and waste recovery infrastructure, with a particular focus on plastic recycling.
- Skills-based sponsorship, leveraging the technical expertise of Veolia staff in China. The Foundation's sponsors and experts will share their know-how in environmental engineering, flow management, and local community awareness.
To preserve this exceptional landscape while meeting the needs of its residents and visitors, the Veolia Foundation is deploying a dual support mechanism:
Rolling out a pioneering circular economy strategy
The objective of this initiative is to turn Hongcun into an international showcase for heritage preservation coupled with a circular economy. By structuring recycling channels tailored to the constraints of a protected historical site, the project aims to drastically reduce the village's environmental footprint and inspire other listed sites across China and Asia.