Page 106 - AJWEP-22-5

Liu and Jusoh

Table 3 summarizes the themes and codes from this to better adapt to market demands, improve the market
section (Section 3.3). The main challenge lies in the low acceptance of recycled materials, and enhance their
intrinsic value of recycled materials combined with high economic viability.
processing or sorting costs, resulting in poor economic
viability. Subsequently, recycling units often incur 3.4. Perspectives of government departments
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losses and face significant economic pressure. Although In this section, interviewees were invited to discuss,
these units help the government mitigate environmental from the perspective of government departments, the
impacts, they often do not receive corresponding efforts made to allocate resources and provide technical
economic compensation. Respondents explicitly support for construction waste management, as well as
27
stated that the current selling price of recycled concrete areas requiring improvement. This section emphasizes
products is 10 – 20% lower than that of raw materials, the government’s role in offering economic support
further limiting profit margins. As a result, the income (resources and technical support) as a functional
of recycling units is largely driven by government authority. The interviews in this section aimed to offer
subsidies, making economic sustainability a key issue a comprehensive understanding of the government’s
restricting the development of recycling enterprises. current support within the sample region, while
This situation is also regarded as a key economic issue identifying shortcomings and areas for improvement.
restricting the development of recycling units. 28 These insights will help guide future strategies to
Regarding the obstacles, the main problems include enhance the effectiveness of construction waste
a lack of trust in the quality of recycled products, low management initiatives.
pricing due to intense competition, and high disposal By analyzing the theme-coding table of the
costs leading to illegal dumping, which in turn causes government department, as shown in Table 4, several key
instability in waste sources. This was clearly reflected findings emerge. First, government departments have
in R4’s statement, “The market demand for certain toxic undertaken a series of supportive initiatives to promote
wastes is low, the profits are minimal, and due to weak the recycling of construction waste. These included
regulations, most contractors resort to illegal dumping assisting in the formulation of more specific recycling
to avoid disposal costs, further limiting the profits.” and classification guidelines, providing education and
Therefore, ensuring a stable source of waste has also training, offering special financial support, subsidizing
become an important means to secure the economic the costs of dedicated recycling vehicles, and supporting
foundation of recycling companies. 29 the construction of recycling centers. In addition, to
Finally, the recycler respondents discussed key areas strengthen the supervision of the recycling process,
for improvement, primarily aimed at promoting a healthy several projects have introduced new technologies such
and virtuous market cycle. These included certifications
of recycled product quality, minimum usage quotas (for Table 4. Theme‑coding of the government
both public and private construction), and expansion department
of product applications. As the Retail Industry Leaders Theme Code
Association points out, promoting the development of Supporting Technology pilot
high-strength recycled materials and setting mandatory solutions Different forms of subsidy
usage ratios in construction projects will help eliminate
bias and ensure healthy market development and Specific training and documentation
operation. The interviewees also emphasized the need Barriers Limited policy coverage and coordination
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to strengthen regulatory enforcement to reduce illegal Cumbersome funding application
dumping at the end of the chain and ensure a stable Small and medium-sized enterprises are
supply of recyclable waste. overlooked
In summary, the market-oriented pathway for Support Multilevel subsidy mechanism
construction waste recycling in the current sample region needs Reform administration
still requires further exploration. A dual approach of Collaboration strengthening
policy and market-driven forces, coupled with the deep Improvement Develop a procurement standard
integration of technology and application, will be the strategies
core direction for promoting recycling and utilization Tough enforcement of the regulation
in the future. Implementing these measures can provide Certification and education for
actionable strategies for recycling enterprises in Shaanxi trust-building

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 100 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120080