Construction and demolition waste management in China： challenges and strategic solutions

Based on the findings from the 2024 Central Ecological and Environmental Inspection Team's report on construction and demolition waste （CDW） issues in seven provinces （municipalities）， this study examines the key challenges in China's current CDW management and recycling practices. Major problems identified include the lack of comprehensive governance planning， insufficient waste disposal capacity， and inadequate regulatory oversight， which have led to persistent illegal dumping and improper disposal， negatively impacting the ecological environment. The analysis reveals four primary causes： 1） the fluctuating generation and spatiotemporal variability of CDW composition； 2） difficulties in interdepartmental and cross-regional coordination due to incomplete regulatory mechanisms； 3） the absence of comprehensive and effective monitoring methods； 4） limited market outlets for recycled products， which result in financial difficulties for recycling enterprises. From a holistic CDW management perspective， this paper proposes systematic solutions， including： developing specialized CDW governance plans， enhancing source reduction and classification， implementing integrated sky-ground-space monitoring technologies for full-process supervision， and establishing a diversified resource utilization system for various types of solid waste. Additionally， the study emphasizes the need to properly recognize both the polluting and resource attributes of soil-based construction waste， advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes both disposal and resource recovery.