China to increase recycling rate of construction waste

By Wu Jin
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, February 24, 2018
Adjust font size:

The ever-growing amount of solid waste has posed a grim threat to China's efforts in building a clean country, a report revealed recently.

Focusing on the implementation of the country's Law of the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste, ratified more than two decades ago, the report disclosed that among the various kinds of solid waste, construction waste alone could reach 1.8 billion tons annually on average.

With the acceleration of the country's urbanization and renovation, construction waste in China is expected to reach 2.6 billion tons in 2020. However, little of the waste has been well reused, as the current recycling rate of construction waste has been lower than 10 percent, far below the average rate of 90 percent in Western countries and 95 percent in Japan and South Korea, the Economic Information Daily reported recently.

Pan Gong, the head of the E20 Institute of Environment Industry, a national academic platform of environmental protection, said the recycling rate will be the major concern as the country tackles the construction waste.

"However, because of the long-distance transportation and the high costs of recycling, most regions in the country have yet to set up any compulsory systems to ensure the construction waste is reused," Pan said.

"Without fiscal subsidies and supportive policies, the private companies involved in the recycling businesses can hardly make profits," he explained.

To change the status quo, the reuse of construction waste is expected to make improvements. A recent circular issued by the government of Shanxi province exemplifies the local endeavor in increasing the recycling rate of the waste.

According to the circular, the recycling rate in the province is expected to hit 30 percent in 2020, and to exceed 60 percent by 2025. The local government will offer a host of preferential policies, such as issuing rewards and offering discount loans to press ahead with the recycling business.

In addition, the government of Chaoyang district, in Beijing municipality, will establish a garbage zone to deal with the waste, including 1 million tons of construction waste in a public-private partnership (PPP) model in 2018.

According to Pan, the preferential policies will bring huge development potential for recycling companies. And new recycling technology will transform construction waste into new materials, and help the companies win the market at lower costs.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:    
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter