Sustainability
Thanks to Phoenix Sister Cities I was able to travel back to Chengdu for a second time to play with my mariachi in the Chengdu International Sister Cities Youth Music Festival. While I was there I was able to visit an area of interest that I had not gotten the chance to visit previously my first time around, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
This system showcased one of the ways in which Chengdu keeps itself sustainable. The system helped keep the area from the floods it had struggled with in the past and redirects all the water to the dry plains of Chengdu. This is the most different example of sustainability that Chengdu has over Phoenix as the desert biome does not allow for the wetland conditions that Chengdu has, for the most part.
Other than that, Chengdu and Phoenix are similar in the way that they recycle. I saw just as much trash and recycling bins in Chengdu as I do in Pheonix. There are some differences though. Some stations will have separate bins for bottles, paper, and waste, while others simply ask for waste and recyclables.
Chengdu even has its own recycling plant, just like Phoenix. While I was not able to visit, the GoChengdoo plant is the largest recycling plant in all of Southwest China. Neat, right?










