The world's longest plateau railroad, China's Qinghai-Tibet Railway, has achieved zero garbage emissions since its start of operation on July 1, 2006.

The train arrives in Lhasa Rainway Station on July 1, 2010. Qinghai-Tibet Railway, has achieved zero garbage emissions since its start of operation on July 1, 2006. [Xinhua]

"More than 180,000 tonnes of garbage was generated by its passengers in four years but all of it was classified and treated properly," said Li Li, a senior official with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Corporation.

"Three garbage disposal stations are located along the railway, namely in Xining City and Golmud City, both in northwest China's Qinghai Province and Tibet' s capital Lhasa. There are a total of 21 vacuum sewage suction trucks at the three stations that collect the garbage and sewage generated on the trains day and night," Li added.

Gao Zhantao from the Golmud garbage disposal station said, "We send the garbage and sewage to local parks to be utilised as fertilizer for flowers and trees."

Li said the railway company has been doing this to protect the plateau environment along the railroad.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway stretches 1,956 kilometers from Qinghai's provincial capital of Xining to Lhasa. The section of 814 km from Xining to Golmud began operation in 1984 and the construction on the Golmud-Lhasa section started on June 29, 2001.