Research on Environmental Kuznets Curve of Construction Waste Generation Based on China’s Provincial Data

Abstract

The mounting volume of construction waste in China has been steadily rising over the years, yet has largely been overlooked. The environmental Kuznets curve offers a theoretical framework for understanding environmental management by illustrating the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation. This paper applies the environmental Kuznets curve concept to China’s construction waste generation, utilizing per capita construction waste and gross domestic product per capita as environmental and economic indicators, respectively. Panel data from 31 Chinese provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions spanning from 2000 to 2022 are analyzed. This study reveals an N-shaped relationship between per capita construction waste generation and gross domestic product per capita in China. Additionally, this paper employs the stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology model to assess the factors influencing construction waste generation. In descending order of impact, these factors are the size of China’s secondary industry value added (19.34%), construction labor productivity (19.33%), gross domestic product per capita (18.54%), urbanization rate (17.77%), year-end resident population (17.22%), and the technical equipment rate of construction enterprises (8.83%). All these factors contribute positively to construction waste generation. These findings are pivotal in guiding efforts towards minimizing construction waste at its source and for the sustainable development of the construction industry.