Towards a circular economy for construction and demolition waste management in China: Critical success factors

The amount of construction and demolition (C&D) waste in China in recent years has increased due to rapid urbanization, but the country's linear economy for C&D waste management is not adequate for dealing with the associated environmental problems. Although there have been studies of C&D waste management in China, the focus has mostly been on ways to improve the reduce-reuse-recycle (3R) rate, with no exploration of factors that would lead to a successful C&D waste management closed-loop circular economy. The aim of this study was therefore to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for a closed-loop circular economy for C&D waste management in China. The methodology adopted to achieve this aim included a literature review, semistructured interviews, a questionnaire survey, and statistical analysis. The study identified the following eight CSFs: improve secondary material quality and value, incentives for secondary materials utilization, incentives for waste-recovery, standards for secondary materials, advanced sourcing and processing technologies, information platforms and markets for C&D waste, site waste management, and using durable materials. The CSFs identified in this study provide valuable evidence and new insights for scholars and decision makers to further develop a closed-loop circular economy for C&D waste management in China.