Developing circularity of construction waste for a sustainable built environment in emerging economies: New insights from China

Properly handling the long-standing dilemma between economy and environment in emerging economies is a global conundrum. The dilemma is especially perceivable in the construction industry, where profuse construction waste generation always degrades their environment and prevents them from sustainably progressing to developed economies. This study starts from two case studies of Shenzhen and Suzhou in China combining site visits and semi-structured interviews, where both cases, deemed as exemplary emerging economies have successfully developed circularity of construction waste. From comparative case studies, general strategies on developing circularity of construction waste in emerging economies have been derived, including starting from developing recycling, harnessing smart technologies, implementing strong government intervention and economic incentive and adjusting degrees of internalized and externalized government intervention depending on corresponding development stages. This study provides a useful reference for policymakers of emerging economies to develop circularity of construction waste by deploying targeted strategies for a sustainable built environment.