Circular Economy In China Research Articles

The Impact of Climate Change on the Development of Circular Economy in China: A Perspective on Green Total Factor Productivity

<p>In the process of China's transition to high-quality development, the circular economy, as a key strategy for achieving green growth, is of significant importance in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development. This study employs the SBM-GML model to analyze the Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2019, exploring the influence of climate change on the development of the circular economy. The research finds that although China's GTFP shows an overall upward trend, indicating some achievements in the circular economy, the performance in the eastern region significantly outperforms other regions, with technological progress being the primary driver of growth. The impact of climate change on GTFP varies with temperature changes and exhibits differentiated characteristics in different regions. Based on these findings, this paper puts forward a series of policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the practice of the circular economy, enhancing resource utilization efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and addressing the challenges of climate change through promoting green low-carbon development, optimizing industrial structure, and formulating adaptive environmental regulations.</p>

Game evolution analysis of BIM application willingness of prefabricated construction parties

PurposeTo further promote application of BIM technology in construction of prefabricated buildings, influencing factors and evolution laws of willingness to apply BIM technology are explored from the perspective of willingness of participants.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a tripartite game model involving the design firm, component manufacturer and construction firm is constructed and a system dynamics method is used to explore the influencing factors and game evolution path of three parties' application of BIM technology, from three perspectives, cost, benefit and risk.FindingsThe government should formulate measures for promoting the application of BIM according to different BIM application willingness of the parties. When pursuing deeper BIM application, the design firm should pay attention to reducing the speculative benefits of the component manufacturer and the construction firm. The design firm and the component manufacturer should pay attention to balancing the cost and benefit of the design firm while enhancing collaborative efforts. When the component manufacturer and the construction firm cooperate closely, it is necessary to pay attention to balanced distribution of interests of both parties and lower the risk of BIM application.Originality/valueThis study fills a research gap by comprehensively investigating the influencing factors and game evolution paths of willingness of the three parties to apply BIM technology to prefabricated buildings. The research helps to effectively improve the building quality and construction efficiency, and is expected to contribute to the sustainability of built environment in the context of circular economy in China.

Stakeholder Perspectives on Transitioning to the Circular Economy: The Case of China

This study examined the critical role of stakeholders in the transition to a circular economy in China. As a global leader in resource consumption, China's efforts to shift towards a more sustainable and circular model are of paramount importance. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of stakeholder perspectives, including government bodies, industries, and civil society, the study delved into the multifaceted dynamics and challenges of the circular economy transition in the Chinese context. The research explored the evolving policy framework and its impact on industry transformation, emphasizing the potential economic benefits and environmental sustainability that this transition offers. Additionally, it highlighted the barriers and challenges faced by stakeholders, shedding light on regulatory, technological, and behavioral hurdles. This article provides valuable insights into the complex landscape of transitioning to a circular economy in China, with implications for both national and global sustainability efforts.

Assessing the supply chain management of waste-to-energy on green circular economy in China: an empirical study.

One of the industries that makes a significant contribution to the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions around the globe is agriculture. In this regard, the use of bioenergy in the agricultural and food processing industries might benefit from the implementation of circular economy techniques. Despite the fact that just roughly 9% of the global economy is circular, there have been worldwide efforts to improve that reality. The linear economy, commonly known as the "take-make-use-dispose" model, is in sharp contrast to the circular economy, also known as "grow-make-use-restore," which seeks to influence the flow of materials and energy in order to maximize the benefits to the environment and minimize any associated costs. Garbage-to-energy, also known as WTE, is the focus of both academics and businesses as a direct result of the increasingly diminishing number of energy supplies and the ever-increasing amount of garbage. This project intends to turn trash into profit, lessen the impact waste has on the environment, and generate energy from biowaste by conceptualizing a focus on the supply chain characteristics of waste-to-energy processing. The adoption of a waste-to-energy (WTE) supply chain as a district energy system should be a viable solution toward a circular industrial economy that can solve energy consumption, waste management, and greenhouse gas emission concerns all at once. In the framework of a "circular economy," this study investigates how the management of waste-to-energy supply chains impacts the performance of businesses. The present investigation makes use of life cycle assessments, technical innovation, waste-to-energy conversion, and capacities related to circular economies. The study makes use of data obtained from an online survey that was administered between March 2021 and November 2021 to employees of 285 representative samples drawn from 457 European enterprises and firms that have accepted the concepts of the circular economy. The data is examined using a technique known as partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM for short). The findings indicate that waste-to-energy serves as a mediator between the life cycle assessment and the capabilities of the circular economy and that sustainable supply chain management, sustainable supply chain design, technological progress, and waste-to-energy all have positive effects on these metrics.

Integrated and effective management of muck waste under the platform governance mode for a circular economy.

As an inevitable part of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, muck has a dreadful environmental impact due its inadequate management by the traditional governance process. This paper therefore focuses on the management of muck generated from C&D waste by utilizing platform governance as an alternative process, which should more effectively contribute to China's circular economy. The study explores the feasibility of providing such a platform governance mode by using Petri net to compare the traditional governance process and platform governance process for the management of muck trucks, and by using Nanjing's muck smart supervision platform as a case study to assess the effectiveness of the platform governance mode. Results from Petri net simulation modeling reveal that the platform governance mode is more effective than the traditional mode, and from the case study it is found that the success of Nanjing's muck waste management can be attributed to the platform governance mode. The platform management approach can therefore contribute to the sustainability of muck waste governance, and is suitable as an integrated and effective management mode for current practices of muck waste management and resource recovery in China. The main finding from the study is that the platform governance mode significantly improves the efficiency of muck waste management as compared with the traditional governance mode and can therefore provide greater economic and environmental benefits as part of a circular economy.

Barriers to compulsory waste sorting for a circular economy in China

Household waste source separation substantially reduces the amount of rubbish sent to landfills and incinerators. It enables value recovery from useful waste for transitioning to a more resource efficient and circular economy. Confronted by the severe waste management problems, China recently implemented its most strict compulsory waste sorting program in big cities to date. Despite the failures of waste sorting projects in China in the past, it is unclear what the implementation barriers are, how they interact, and how they can be overcome. This study addresses this knowledge gap through a systematic barrier study involving all the relevant stakeholders in Shanghai and Beijing. It uncovers the complex interrelationships between barriers using the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (Fuzzy DEMATEL) method. “Hasty and inappropriate planning” and “lack of policy support at the grassroots level”, two new barriers that are not reported in the literature, are found to be the most influential barriers. Policy implications are discussed based on the study findings to inform the policy deliberations on the implementation of compulsory waste sorting.

Spatial effect of transportation infrastructure on regional circular economy: evidence from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Compared with the linear economy, the circular economy can solve the contradiction between social development and resource utilization, which has attracted wide attention. Although the relationship between transportation infrastructure and economic development has changed from traditional mode to spatial mode, the spatial effect of transportation infrastructure on regional circular economy is still unclear. By combining the policy changes for developing the circular economy in China, this study constructs a comprehensive index of circular economy development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Based on the time and space development of the circular economy in GBA, we analyze the spatial effect of transportation infrastructure on it. The results show that the regional circular economy in GBA has developed, but has not been decoupled from economic development. The development of the regional circular economy presents a positive spatial spillover effect, which is beneficial to the building of the regional recycling market. The improvement of transportation infrastructure has a positive impact on the circular economy of neighboring cities, but it may have the risk of inhibiting the development of the local circular economy. These findings provide policy recommendations for urban planners to coordinate the development of transportation infrastructure and circular economy.

Conceptualizing the Determinants of Chinese circular economy: Environmental Supply Chain Cooperation as a Moderator

With an emphasis on the moderating function that environmental supply chain cooperation plays, the goal of this study is to provide a complete conceptual framework of the causes of the circular economy in China. An approach that is based on a literature review is used to discover and summarize the various research that have been conducted on the subject. After that, this information is combined into the building of a conceptual model in order to highlight the primary elements that influence China's acceptance and execution of circular economy methods. Elements that are institutional, technological, economic, and social have been combined into the model that has been provided. Additionally, this research investigates the role that collaboration within environmental supply chains can play as a moderating factor in the relationship between the previously mentioned components and the Chinese circular economy. According to the findings, environmental supply chain cooperation plays a crucial role in supporting the adoption and implementation of circular economy practices in China by encouraging collaboration and coordination among a wide variety of stakeholders. This helps to ensure that circular economy practices are successfully adopted and implemented. In order to reach this goal, it is necessary to fortify the partnerships that exist within the environmental supply chain. Overall, the study offers a solid theoretical foundation for further investigation, as well as a set of practical implications for Chinese policymakers and practitioners who are working to advance the circular economy agenda.
 

Coevolution between science and policy: A systematic analysis on circular economy in China and worldwide

Circular economy (CE) aims to decouple economic development from natural environment impact and has been given significant impetus by science and policy. However, existing studies often focus on a single momentum by qualitative analysis, and the impact of science-policy interaction has rarely been discussed. To explore the evolving linkage between science and policy of CE and compare different models internationally and in China, this study collected materials from bibliographic and policy databases and adopted a mixed-method approach based on big data. We found that there is two-way feedback and continuous adjustment between science and policy of CE. That is, science can guide policymakers to pay attention to social issues, to promote the introduction of relevant policies. In turn, policies, especially milestone ones, accelerate the deepening of research and facilitate optimal science resource allocation. The cycle then repeats itself until social issues are optimal. We also proposed a conceptual framework based on the topic model results for identifying and systematically categorizing CE-related science and policy. Based on the framework, the coevolution analysis results show that CE in China mainly focuses on the development strategy and policy at the macro level such as “ecological civilization” and “agricultural CE”, and there is a more obvious bandwagon effect on policy than the world. In contrast, international CE mainly focuses on the implementation at the micro level based on the market and is progressive and coherent. The results are significant to guide scholars to meet practical requirements and policymakers to adopt science achievements effectively.

Determinants of workers' pro-environmental behaviour towards enhancing construction waste management: Contributing to China's circular economy

Construction waste presents many challenges for sustainable development and ultimately for China's goal of a circular economy. Effective construction waste management (CWM) is necessary to tackle these challenges, the success of which depends in large part on the behaviour of workers. Most previous behavioural research relating to CWM focused on reduction or recycling behaviour, with few studies having examined pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) within organisations. This study therefore conducted research into the key determinants of two types of PEB relating to CWM. A questionnaire survey was conducted on five construction sites in China to identify the critical organisational and personal determinants predicting PEB relating to CWM, including self-enacted PEB and co-worker PEB. One hundred and fifty-two valid questionnaires were collected for data analysis, representing an overall response rate of 30.4%. Results of the analysis reveal that physical stress, environmental awareness, and tedious construction processes are significant predictors of PEB. Based on these results, practical suggestions for enhancing CWM are proposed. The findings of this research could help improve PEB among construction workers and thereby contribute to China's circular economy.

The development of China's Circular Economy: From the perspective of environmental regulation

While achieving rapid economic growth, the pressure caused by environmental pollution and resource depletion has increasingly become a bottleneck in China's economic development, making the development of a circular economy particularly important. The extant literature has not focused on the influence of environmental regulation on a circular economy performance. This study uses the metafrontier global direction distance function (Metafrontier-Global-DDF) super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to estimate the circular economy performance and decomposition values of circular economy growth rate in 286 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2018. It further tests the influences of environmental regulations on circular economy performance and its influencing mechanism. The results show that environmental regulation can play a linear role in promoting the performance of the circular economy, mainly through the “catch-up effect,” while “innovation effect” and “demonstration effect” have not yet played an effective role. This study provides evidence for the performance evaluation of the circular economy in China and the relationship between environmental regulations and circular economy performance. The future development of a circular economy still needs the active development of circular economy technology in each city. The role of the “innovation effect” and “demonstration effect” in improving the performance of the circular economy should be further enhanced.

Research on the impact of circular economy on total factor carbon productivity in China.

Circular economy plays an important role in carbon emissions reduction. To understand how the development of circular economy in China improve the carbon productivity is of great significance to realize China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Due to the late introduction of the concept of carbon productivity, only a few studies have preliminarily analyzed the impact of the overall development of circular economy on carbon productivity at the macro level, but they ignored the different impact of different dimensions of the circular economy indicator system on carbon productivity at the micro level. In this context, this paper analyzes the impact of circular economy on carbon productivity by constructing an index evaluation system for the carbon reduction effect of circular economy through the two dimensions of resource efficiency and economic benefits and using the total factor carbon productivity measured by the DEA-Malmquist model and also analyzes the untapped potential of circular economy in different regions, which is expected to provide policy reference for how to achieve green and sustainable development in China under low-carbon constraints. Results show that first, the development of circular economy positively affects carbon productivity, and such promotion effect gradually strengthens with time. Meanwhile, the proposed indices demonstrate varying effects, with the resource efficiency indices outperforming the economic efficiency indices. Second, the varying degrees of circular economy development across regions lead to variations in the carbon reduction effect of circular economy on carbon productivity. Specifically, compared with the eastern and central regions, the western region shows the greater untapped potential of the circular economy. Identifying priorities for circular economy development, developing a circular economy in accordance with the local conditions, developing and utilizing advanced carbon emissions reduction technologies, and opening up further to the outside world have important theoretical value and practical significance for exploring the carbon emission reduction effect of circular economy.

The Contribution Rate of Advanced Scientific and Technological Progress and the Internal Circulation of China's Economy

This study observes the impact of China's advanced scientific and technological progress contribution rate on China's internal circular economy from 1958 to 2020, and formulates China's appropriate economic policies. Firstly, the method of taking logarithm by difference is used to make the variables studied stable, the VAR model is established, and the stability of the model is tested. Then, this study uses the Granger causality test to evaluate the relationship between the contribution rate of advanced science and technology, consumption, social fixed investment, and macroeconomic climate index. The impulse response function shows that in the long run, the contribution rate of advanced scientific and technological progress will not only promote the improvement of consumption but also improve the macroeconomic climate index and social fixed asset investment. Variance decomposition shows that with time, the interaction between consumption and the contribution rate of advanced scientific and technological progress gradually deepens, and the influence of other variables is relatively stable. Therefore, China needs to increase its investment in scientific research and improve the contribution rate of advanced scientific and technological progress, which will help promote China's implementation of the internal circular economy strategy.

Synthetic organic antibiotics residues as emerging contaminants waste-to-resources processing for a circular economy in China: Challenges and perspective

Synthetic antibiotics have been known for years to combat bacterial antibiotics. But their overuse and resistance have become a concern recently. The antibiotics reach the environment, including soil from the manufacturing process and undigested excretion by cattle and humans. It leads to overburden and contamination of the environment. These organic antibiotics remain in the environment for a very long period. During this period, antibiotics come in contact with various flora and fauna. The ill manufacturing practices and inadequate wastewater treatment cause a severe problem to the water bodies. After pretreatment from pharmaceutical industries, the effluents are released to the water bodies such as rivers. Even after pretreatment, effluents contain a significant number of antibiotic residues, which affect the living organisms living in the water bodies. Ultimately, river contaminated water reaches the ocean, spreading the contamination to a vast environment. This review paper discusses the impact of synthetic organic contamination on the environment and its hazardous effect on health. In addition, it analyzes and suggests the biotechnological strategies to tackle organic antibiotic residue proliferation. Moreover, the degradation of organic antibiotic residues by biocatalyst and biochar is analyzed. The circular economy approach for waste-to-resource technology for organic antibiotic residue in China is analyzed for a sustainable solution. Overall, the significant challenges related to synthetic antibiotic residues and future aspects are analyzed in this review paper.

Examining the Temporal and Spatial Models of China's Circular Economy Based upon Detailed Data of E-Plastic Recycling.

Examining the circular economy model is crucial to enable the scaling up of industry and anthropogenic circularity practice. Electrical and electronic waste plastic (e-plastic) has become the focus of urban mining and circular economy due to its rapid growth, valuable resource and potential risks. This article focuses on the recycling companies’ experience in China from 2012 to 2017. The average recycling rate was 33.3% and the recycling amount in 2017 was 558 kt. A two-dimensional coupling model of economic development and renewable resources is firstly constructed. Eventually, four typical resource-based regional models are summarized, namely for demonstration regional model, commissioned regional model, traditional model and potential regional model. It also puts forward differentiated suggestions in terms of maintaining demonstration, strengthening policies, promoting transformation, and tapping potential. At the same time, it is recommended to explore the construction of large-region resource-based recycling centers and big data centers in resource-based demonstration areas.

Processing of municipal solid waste resources for a circular economy in China: An overview

To realize the management of municipal solid waste (MSW), China uses MSW conversion technology to generate fuel and other byproducts through which the operating costs (e.g., capital and operational) are maintained to some extent. The amount of MSW produced per capita in China is a serious problem. Therefore, a circular economy method was investigated that can not only manage MSW safely but also convert MSW into energy to meet the growing energy demand. This study summarized the current status of MSW treatment and gives an overview of several waste-to-energy conversion technologies by describing their possible and existing situation in China and identifying related challenges. Currently, none of the single technologies can effectively realize waste-to-energy conversion. Only in this way can waste-to-energy technology achieve commercial success and community preparedness.

Sustainable development and sharing economy: A bibliometric analysis

Sustainability promotes a feasible strategy to achieve a continuous development of the economy, society, and environment. This study aims to analyze the growing efforts on researches made by academic communities in exploring the sharing economy as a potential approach to promote sustainable development. A bibliometric approach with VOSviewer and COOC analysis was applied. A total number of 975 published articles were analyzed in this study. As a result, it was found that few studies have shed light on collaborative and sustainable consumption, climate change, and bioeconomy in the sharing economy by country, such as renewable resources and business models, circular economy in China, and life cycle assessment, particularly taking evidence from the urban mobility services in China. It was also revealed that there is a new indiscipline research trend in the field of sustainable development such as sustainable business models, game theory, blue economy, peer-to-peer accommodation, smart grids, and electric vehicles. Other trend concentrates on technological advancements and policies to promote sustainable development in the sharing economy.

The Circular Economy in the Popular Republic of China: A Multilevel Strategy for a New Model of Economic and Social Development

The following work analyzes the principal differences in the implementation of the circular economy model between Europe and China, with a focus on practices and strategies set in place by the asiatic Popular Republic to promote the sustainable development. For that purpose, in this work, relevant trial studies on the management and deployment of circular economy in China and on green behaviors of Chinese population have been examined Received: 20 July 2021 / Accepted: 30 August 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Potential Impact of China's Circular Economy on Jobs Creation in the Tertiary Industrial Sector

The significant implication of circular economy in China is the creation of eco friendly industry. Basically, circular economy can create jobs through waste management. The character of waste management in this industry is divided into three sectors, namely primary, secondary and tertiary. Job creation in the three sectors has different characters. At the primary industry a circular economy can create jobs in processing in agricultural and livestock waste. At the secondary level, the circular economy provides new jobs through the manufacturing waste processing industry. At the tertiary level, the circular economy provides employment through the provision of eco friendly building or factory design services. The work opportunities and the chance to work in circular economy sector will inevitably be followed by some challenges. Thus, the aim of the research to see how the Chinese government through the implementation of circular economy is able to create new jobs. The research found that the circular economy in china not only opens up new jobs because it opens up to waste processing industry but also has the potential to create new complex jobs, bringing together upstream and downstream industries in one area (regional jobs creation). In the future, the implementation of circular economy will create significant jobs opportunities in the secondary industry.

DEVELOPMENT OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY MODEL: THE CASE OF CHINA

In today’s world, resource shortages and environmental problems have gradually become insurmountable obstacles to the economic development of all countries in the world, which is also particularly true for China. The traditional economic model of high energy consumption and high emissions can no longer meet the needs of current economic development. Therefore, the strong vitality of the economic model is particularly important. The author has determined the significance of circular economy to sustainable development of China. The evolution of China’s circular economy has been analysed, while the strengths and weakness of the Chinese model have been highlighted. The paper substantiates directions for future development of circular economy in China in the context of innovations, regulatory support, recycling, pilot projects of «waste-less city», and partnerships between the authorities, entrepreneurs and the public.