Estimating carbon emission reductions from China's “Zero-waste City” construction pilot program

Abstract

Zero-waste strategies aim to reduce the growing generation of all types of solid waste streams. China has launched a “Zero-waste City” construction pilot program to mitigate pollution, lower carbon emissions, and promote a circular economy. However, a knowledge gap remains in terms of quantifying the carbon emission reduction performance when this program was implemented in the pilot cities. This study developed a methodology to account for the carbon emission reductions from the solid waste management processes, including source control, mid-end utilization, and end-of-line disposal in China's zero-waste pilot cities. Results indicated that the intensity of solid waste generation has been effectively controlled, the utilization level has been significantly improved, and the capacity for harmless disposal has been greatly enhanced, leading to substantial carbon emission reductions and climate benefits. Further decomposition of the driving forces using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model revealed that emission intensity and treatment structure were the primary contributors to the carbon emission reductions. These findings could provide valuable insights for advancing China's in-depth construction of “Zero-waste City” projects and inform zero-waste management strategies in other countries.