Page 101 - AJWEP-22-5

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 5 (2025), pp. 95-111.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120080

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Economic performance analysis of construction waste
recycling and utilization in Shaanxi: Perspectives from

construction and recycling sectors

Han Liu * and Muhammad Noor Hisyam Jusoh 1
1,2
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2 Department of Engineering Management, School of Economics and Management, Ankang University,
Ankang, Shaanxi, China
*Corresponding author: Han Liu (1002267977@ucsiuniversity.edu.my)

Received: March 17, 2025; Revised: June 16, 2025; Accepted: July 1, 2025; Published online: July 18, 2025

Abstract: China currently faces challenges related to the high volume of construction waste and its low utilization
rate, which have varying impacts on resources and the environment. This study focuses on Shaanxi province in
China and conducted online interviews with 12 respondents, comprising four representatives each from construction
companies, recycling enterprises, and government departments. The research aims to explore the actual economic
performance of recycling and utilization processes. Interview outlines were tailored to the professional attributes
of the participants, revealing key issues: construction companies highlighted costs associated with the sorting
process, recycling companies reported on the underdeveloped market for recycled products, and the government
representatives identified challenges in the continuity and specificity of support policies. Based on these findings,
this study proposes several recommendations to enhance the economic performance of recycling-related industries
in the sample region and to improve recycling rates and resource utilization.

Keywords: Economic performance; Recycling and utilization; Construction waste; Shaanxi province

1. Introduction construction waste accounting for over 40% of the
total. More critically, <50% of construction waste was
2
Shaanxi province, located in inland China, has recycled and utilized at the national level, posing a
experienced rapid economic growth in recent years. threat to the region’s limited land resources amidst rapid
The rate of urbanization has increased significantly urban development. This practice also has led to the
3
from 51.57% to 65.16% between 2012 and 2023, with waste of potentially recyclable materials, contradicting
the construction industry serving as a cornerstone of China’s current government mandates for sustainable
the region’s economy. During this period, the total area development in the construction industry.
of buildings under construction has steadily grown to In the existing literature on construction waste
396.71 km . Concurrently, the volume of construction management, the effectiveness of management in a
2 1
waste generated in the province has remained alarmingly given region is typically assessed by the recycling
high. In 2023, the total output of construction waste rate. The Shaanxi provincial government, as early
4,5
in the province reached 141.93 million tons, with as 2008, introduced the “Regulations on Urban

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 95 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120080