Beijing is planning to re-sort and re-burn buried rubbish in a bid to extend the usage time of refuse landfills, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

The plan will be implemented starting in 2015, but it is yet unknown what type of rubbish will be first re-burned and re-sorted, according to the Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment.

Some landfill pits across the city will also be repaired after being in use for more than 20 years, the report said.

The capital has seven refuse landfills that may be filled within three years, which is why the administration plans to sort and burn rubbish again, to save land and reduce the pressure on the current landfills, said the report.

Liu Shenbo, an engineer specializing in generating electricity through refuse incineration, told the paper that a few Western countries, such as the United States, have also re-sorted and re-burned buried garbage, adding that the work is not hard and will not affect the environment.