The country consumes the most resources in the world and produces the most waste — but it also has the most advanced solutions, say John A. Mathews and Hao Tan.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Measuring the performance and maturity of the plastic recycling value chain system: implications and prospects
Environmental Sciences Europe Open Access 09 June 2024
-
Product, building, and infrastructure material stocks dataset for 337 Chinese cities between 1978 and 2020
Scientific Data Open Access 20 April 2023
-
The Development of Spatial Circularity Discourse in Japan: Ecomodernist, Territorialised, or Both? The Story of Onomichi’s Wastescapes
Circular Economy and Sustainability Open Access 11 January 2022
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Mathews, J. A. & Tan, H. China's Renewable Energy Revolution (Palgrave, 2015).
Hoornweg, D., Bhada-Tata, P. & Kennedy, C. Nature 502, 615–617 (2013).
Wen, Z. G. & Meng, X. Y. J. Clean. Prod. 90, 211–219 (2015).
Chertow, M. Ann. Rev. Energy Environ. 25, 313–337 (2000).
Mathews, J. & Tan, H. J. Indust. Ecol. 15, 435–457 (2011).
Zhu, D. Sci. Technol. Rev. 9, 39–43 (1998; in Chinese).
Yu, F., Han, F. & Cui, Z. J. Clean. Prod. 87, 339–347 (2015).
National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. The National Circular Economy Development Index Achieved 137.6 in 2013 (NBS, 2015); available at http://go.nature.com/vft5fz (in Chinese).
Xu, Y. Environ. Prot. Circ. Econ. 9, 10–13 (2015; in Chinese).
State Council of the People's Republic of China. Circular Economy Development Strategy and Immediate Plan of Action (State Council, 2013); available at http://go.nature.com/hmcxiz (in Chinese).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Related links
Related links
Related links in Nature Research
Circular economy: Getting the circulation going 2016-Mar-23
The circular economy 2016-Mar-23
Make recycled goods covetable 2016-Mar-23
Sustainability: Don't waste seafood waste 2015-Aug-10
Resources: Track flows to manage technology-metal supply 2013-Dec-31
Environment: Waste production must peak this century 2013-Oct-30
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mathews, J., Tan, H. Circular economy: Lessons from China. Nature 531, 440–442 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/531440a
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/531440a
This article is cited by
-
Measuring the performance and maturity of the plastic recycling value chain system: implications and prospects
Environmental Sciences Europe (2024)
-
Product, building, and infrastructure material stocks dataset for 337 Chinese cities between 1978 and 2020
Scientific Data (2023)
-
The transition towards circular economy and waste within accounting and accountability models: a systematic literature review and conceptual framework
Environment, Development and Sustainability (2023)
-
Spatial effect of transportation infrastructure on regional circular economy: evidence from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2023)
-
The Development of Spatial Circularity Discourse in Japan: Ecomodernist, Territorialised, or Both? The Story of Onomichi’s Wastescapes
Circular Economy and Sustainability (2023)