The first medical waste disposal facility began operation early this week in the capital city's suburban Daxing District, municipal government sources said Thursday.

The Nangong Medical Waste Disposal Plant, which cost 10 million yuan (about US$1.2 million), will be able to dispose of 15 of the 41 tons of medical wastes the city produces each day.

Ten airtight vehicles began transporting medical wastes from more than 200 hospitals to the plant for incineration.

The plant is one of two planned by the city following the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak last year. The second will be in Chaoyang District.

Vice Mayor Ji Lin said the plant will have a daily disposal capacity of 30 tons after its second phase completes next year. The city also plans to build the Gaojiatun disposal plant next year with a designed disposal capacity of 30 tons.

Ji said the two plants will be able to treat all the medical wastes produced by more than 7,000 medical institutions in the city.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government tightened laws on hospital waste water disposal in an effort to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.