Comparative study of construction and demolition waste management in China and the european union

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) accounts for 40% of urban municipal waste in China and around 25% in the European Union (EU). Since the EU is more developed and urbanized than China, its experience with managing CDW may be helpful to China. This study therefore compared China and the EU with respect to the flow of CDW materials and the policies, laws and regulations for CDW management. The results reveal that the CDW management practices and facilities in China are relatively underdeveloped with a large amount of low-value inert material going to landfill compared with the EU. The study also reveals the important role of government involvement in CDW management, including the use of punitive measures and preferential policies; most EU members states achieved their waste recovery rates by 2016 due to mature CDW legalization. To improve the management of CDW in China, a series of suggestions are proposed including waste prevention strategies, establishment of supervision mechanisms, and financial support.