Abstract:Developing “Zero-waste City” is a powerful starting point for deepening solid waste comprehensive management reform from the overall city level, and is an important measure to promote ecological civilization and build a beautiful China. In 2019, the State Council issued the Working Plan for the Pilot Construction of “Zero-waste City”. In order to implement this plan, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment selected “11+5” cities and regions to carry out the first batch of pilot projects. On the basis of in-depth investigations, the progress of the pilot construction and analyzes the outstanding problems and challenges are summarized. Studies have shown that in the past two years, the pilots have achieved preliminary results, and formed a number of typical experience models that can be replicated and promoted. Nevertheless, there still are many challenges such as lack of strategic planning and top-level design, poor management system operation, imperfect law and regulation systems, imperfect economic incentives and marketization mechanisms, insufficient technological innovation, etc. In order to systematically promote “Zero-waste City” in the future, on one hand, it is necessary to strengthen top-level design and overall coordination, pay attention to the synergistic effect of resource conservation, waste reduction, and carbon reduction, and develop circular economy as an important path. On the other hand, in order to accelerate the formation of a long-term mechanism, it is necessary to strengthen the establishment of a system of laws, regulations and standards for front-end reduction and resource management, comprehensively use price mechanisms, fiscal and tax policies, and financial means to establish a market-oriented mechanism, and strengthen technological innovation and application transformation to form a sustainable business model.