The Plan of Building Facilities for Treating MSW into Harmless Substances in the 13^th Five-Year Plan Period was officially released in late 2016. Organizations across Chinese society attempted to participate in making this plan. Of them，environmental NGOs and research teams were very important forces，as they offered many constructive opinions. The civic society’s attention to and research on the issue of waste，as well as their active participation in policy making，constitute a highlight in waste management in China，despite that most of the aforementioned opinions were not adopted into the finalized plan. Such participation was not just about offering concrete recommendations on policies regarding waste management，but also explored the possibility of public engagement in making national policies and plans.