Circular economy in China

Abstract

Circular economy is devoted to improving resource efficiency and recycling rate. Its actions are being motivated by four major drivers: (i) regulatory control led by a mix of US states, European Union legislation, and China’s environmental law; (ii) competitive incentives for both cost decrease and technology innovation; (iii) stakeholder promotion related to brand reputation and greater transparency; and (iv) risks from supply chain broken caused by regional resource shortage and vis major event (Dauvergne and LeBaron in New Polit Econ 18(3):410-430, 2013). In China, these drivers and pressures have imposed evolution of circular economy.