After Ma Zhongyan used an app on her phone to arrange for waste paper and bottles to be collected, all she had to do was wait for the company's truck to arrive.

When the driver arrived and the waste had been weighed and loaded, it took less than a minute for him to transfer 5 yuan (72 cents) to Ma's online account.

"This door-to-door pickup service is so convenient that I have become more enthusiastic about storing the wrapping after I have unpacked parcels," said Ma, who lives in the Chao-yang district of Beijing.