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Liu and Jusoh

In contrast, recycling units focus more on long-term products, with their economic sustainability
operational feasibility, where a stable supply of waste depending on stable supply and demand.
and sustained market demand are deemed crucial. (iii) Government departments shape the business
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Consequently, when short-term profits are not evident, environment through regulatory enforcement,
contractors tend to withdraw from recycling efforts, financial instruments, infrastructure investment,
disrupting the commercial recycling process. and public procurement policies.
The second contradiction concerns unclear
responsibility distribution. Interview findings reveal However, this study reveals that the aforementioned
a clear pattern of blame-shifting among stakeholders, functions remain fragmented. Construction units have
resulting in a circular offset of responsibilities. not received sufficient economic incentives or technical
According to a previous study, the absence of clear support for sorting, while recycling enterprises are
primary responsibility is one of the main reasons more affected by unstable raw material supplies and
why recycling fails to generate economic benefits. poor market and policy coordination. Although various
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For instance, construction units rely on external government measures exist, their effectiveness is limited,
parties (recycling companies or the government) for often weakened through layers of implementation, and
equipment, technology, and training support. Recycling lacks timely and effective feedback mechanisms. This
companies depend on the government to set mandatory fragmented situation has been repeatedly highlighted
usage quotas for recycled products and enforce policies in waste governance studies, where the lack of
to secure raw material supply and resolve sales coordination among stakeholders and imbalanced
difficulties. Although the government has introduced risk-sharing weakens policy effectiveness and hinders
various support programs, limitations in coverage and market development. 39,40 More directly, these issues
implementation have been evident. result in market imbalance and a non-circular economy.
The third contradiction highlights the inconsistency To address these challenges and ensure a smoother,
between policy design and execution, which often economically sustainable recycling process, it is
results in low efficiency in policy outcomes. Although essential to establish a collaborative governance model
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the government has invested in subsidies, technical between enterprises and the government. Measures
guidance, and training programs, construction and to enhance coordination, such as tiered subsidies,
recycling parties often display negative attitudes in joint infrastructure investment, and the establishment
different aspects, such as complex access procedures, of integrated governance committees, have been
insufficiently detailed guidelines, and low participation suggested in many previous studies. 41,42 Specific
rates. This reveals a gap between policy design and approaches have also been discussed in earlier sections,
on-the-ground implementation. Addressing this issue including providing targeted support for construction
should become a key direction for reforming municipal units (such as tax rebates and priority approvals),
government support policies. mandating public projects to procure recycled materials
with proper quotas, and offering performance-based
3.5.3. Future coordination for stakeholders subsidies to recycling enterprises to support innovation.
This study indicates that without coordinated efforts, the Government departments should transition to roles as
economic value of recycling among stakeholders will integrated platform builders, enabling real-time data
remain largely unrealized. Both interviews and literature sharing, cross-departmental cooperation, and inclusive
highlight that value realization depends not only on consultations. Through these actions, and under a
improvements in technology or policy but also requires shared framework of tripartite coordination, a circular
collaborative participation, shared responsibility, and economy becomes achievable, as illustrated in Figure 2.
common incentives among stakeholders. 38 These models have shown positive results in other
An analysis of the roles within the recycling value countries with well-developed circular economies.
chain reveals that each stakeholder holds a critical yet For example, the Netherlands has established tripartite
incomplete position, and an effective connection among partnerships among contractors, recyclers, and
them is essential: government departments through coordinated incentives,
(i) Construction units determine the quality and subsidies, and monitoring systems. In China, the
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stability of waste material flows through on-site “14 5-year Plan for the Construction Industry” also
th
sorting, labor management, and project planning. outlines a similar development direction, emphasizing
(ii) Recycling enterprises convert waste into marketable coordinated governance of solid waste between related

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 102 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120080