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How does circular economy respond to greenhouse gas emissions reduction: An analysis of Chinese plastic recycling industries

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  • Liu, Zhe
  • Adams, Michelle
  • Cote, Raymond P.
  • Chen, Qinghua
  • Wu, Rui
  • Wen, Zongguo
  • Liu, Weili
  • Dong, Liang

Abstract

With the necessity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction as a backdrop, the circular economy (CE) is increasingly being considered an effective response to this issue. Currently, China is facing a considerable challenge as it tries to respond to Paris Agreement targets; however, in many respects China is ahead of other nations as it relates to the implementation of such innovative strategies such as the circular economy policies. For over ten years, China has been investigating how the circular economy policies could be used to respond to GHG emission issue. In particular, the effects of such economic development pattern needs to be identified as well as the specific influence on GHG emissions reduction. This study presents an analysis of the Chinese plastic recycling industries (CPRI) through this lens. Plastics were specifically targeted, as such waste generation represents one of the highest fractions of global waste by mass, as well as the increasing public concerns of the environmental impacts of post-consumer plastics waste. Integrating the concepts of circular economy in this industry could be deemed an effective strategy, one which not only reduces post-consumer waste pollution, but also mitigates GHG emissions. This study analyzes the trajectories, features and driving forces of GHG emissions reduction achieved by the CPRI in the past ten years. The results show that the contribution of the CPRI to [specifically] CO2 emissions reduction increased from 7.67 million tons (MT) in 2007 to 14.57 MT in 2016; the scale factor and structure factor had significant impacts on GHG emissions reduction changes. A scenario analysis is presented based on projected impacts of various relevant national strategies. Finally, the policy implications of the CPRI's further GHG reduction measures are proposed.

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  • Liu, Zhe & Adams, Michelle & Cote, Raymond P. & Chen, Qinghua & Wu, Rui & Wen, Zongguo & Liu, Weili & Dong, Liang, 2018. "How does circular economy respond to greenhouse gas emissions reduction: An analysis of Chinese plastic recycling industries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1162-1169.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:91:y:2018:i:c:p:1162-1169
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.04.038
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    5. Walter Leal Filho & Jelena Barbir & Pınar Gökçin Özuyar & Enrique Nunez & Jose Manuel Diaz-Sarachaga & Bertrand Guillaume & Rosley Anholon & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Julia Swart & Luis Velazquez & The, 2022. "Assessing Provisions and Requirements for the Sustainable Production of Plastics: Towards Achieving SDG 12 from the Consumers’ Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Teddy Serrano & Sandra Aparcana & Fatemeh Bakhtiari & Alexis Laurent, 2021. "Contribution of circular economy strategies to climate change mitigation: Generic assessment methodology with focus on developing countries," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1382-1397, December.
    7. Wenquan Shi, 2021. "Analyzing enterprise asset structure and profitability using cloud computing and strategic management accounting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-21, September.
    8. Altaf Hossain Molla & Hilal Shams & Zambri Harun & Mohd Nizam Ab Rahman & Hawa Hishamuddin, 2022. "An Assessment of Drivers and Barriers to Implementation of Circular Economy in the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Sector in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-25, October.
    9. Ayah Alassali & Caterina Picuno & Zhi Kai Chong & Jinyang Guo & Roman Maletz & Kerstin Kuchta, 2021. "Towards Higher Quality of Recycled Plastics: Limitations from the Material’s Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-22, November.
    10. Zambri Harun & Altaf Hossain Molla & Mohd Radzi Abu Mansor & Rozmi Ismail, 2022. "Development, Critical Evaluation, and Proposed Framework: End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-25, November.
    11. Lucía Salguero-Puerta & Juan Carlos Leyva-Díaz & Francisco Joaquín Cortés-García & Valentín Molina-Moreno, 2019. "Sustainability Indicators Concerning Waste Management for Implementation of the Circular Economy Model on the University of Lome (Togo) Campus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-21, June.
    12. Feng Xiong & Xiaoyu Zeng & Yi (Fionna) Xie & Yan Li, 2022. "Design (Allocation) of a Carbon Emission System—A Lesson from Power Restrictions in Zhejiang, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-31, September.
    13. Angela Neves & Radu Godina & Susana G. Azevedo & Carina Pimentel & João C.O. Matias, 2019. "The Potential of Industrial Symbiosis: Case Analysis and Main Drivers and Barriers to Its Implementation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-68, December.
    14. Liu, Lirong & Huang, Guohe & Baetz, Brian & Huang, Charley Z. & Zhang, Kaiqiang, 2019. "Integrated GHG emissions and emission relationships analysis through a disaggregated ecologically-extended input-output model; A case study for Saskatchewan, Canada," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 97-109.
    15. Leticia Sarmento dos Muchangos, 2022. "Mapping the Circular Economy Concept and the Global South," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.

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