The Current Situation of Construction & Demolition Waste Management in China

The large quantity of construction & demolition waste (C&DW) with rapid urbanization, growth of economy and population, has placed great burden on the finite landfill space and environment since the early 1980s. This paper outlines the trend of C&DW generation and waste composition, as well as describes current status of waste management in China. The current recycling is restricted to those high scrap value recycling materials like steel; other non-profitable materials like aggregates will be sent to C&D landfills. Mixed collection, manual separation and simple landfill without collection system of leachate and odour are broadly applied in China. Then, some suggestions are given for improving the C&DW management: (1) Perfecting the polluter-pays system; (2) Specialization of C&DW collection method; (3) Encouragement of new recycling technologies and mature technology imported; (4) Implementing an integrated disposal method; (5) Establishment of regulations and improvement of supervision structure; (6) Enhancing environmental awareness.