Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Circular economy: Lessons from China

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.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Mathews, J. A. & Tan, H. China's Renewable Energy Revolution (Palgrave, 2015).

  2. Hoornweg, D., Bhada-Tata, P. & Kennedy, C. Nature 502, 615–617 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Wen, Z. G. & Meng, X. Y. J. Clean. Prod. 90, 211–219 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chertow, M. Ann. Rev. Energy Environ. 25, 313–337 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mathews, J. & Tan, H. J. Indust. Ecol. 15, 435–457 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhu, D. Sci. Technol. Rev. 9, 39–43 (1998; in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Yu, F., Han, F. & Cui, Z. J. Clean. Prod. 87, 339–347 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. 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).

  9. Xu, Y. Environ. Prot. Circ. Econ. 9, 10–13 (2015; in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  10. 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).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to John A. Mathews or Hao Tan.

Additional information

Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Weibo

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

Nature special: The circular economy

Nature special: Sustainability

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mathews, J., Tan, H. Circular economy: Lessons from China. Nature 531, 440–442 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/531440a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/531440a

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing