Develop Zero-Waste Cities
for the Building of an Ecological
Civilization
Huiqiang Cheng
Zero-waste city represents a model of sustainable urban development, which aims to
build an ecological civilization and follows the new development concepts featuring
innovation, coordination and green development. By promoting a green development
model and green lifestyle, cities strive to reduce solid wastes at the source, enhance
the efficiency of resource utilization, and make full use of wastes. With the launch
of pilot zero-waste city programs, China entered the advanced stage of a circular
economy as part of its efforts to build an ecological civilization.
1 History of Zero-Waste City and International Experience
Zero-waste city is a concept derived from the zero waste strategy first proposed by
Dr. Paul Palmer who founded Zero Waste Systems Inc. in 1972 for the recycling
and reuse of chemicals. This concept drew extensive attention in the late 1990s. As
a goal of urban waste management and reduction, zero waste means turning waste
produced in production and life into materials that can be used in other industries,
forming a cycle that maximizes use. The first working definition of zero waste was
given by Zero Waste International Alliance in 2004 and revised in 2009: Zero waste
is “a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in
changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where
all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero waste
means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and
eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all
resources, and not burn or bury them.”
H. Cheng (B)
Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, Development Research Center of the
State Council, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_36
371
for the Building of an Ecological
Civilization
Huiqiang Cheng
Zero-waste city represents a model of sustainable urban development, which aims to
build an ecological civilization and follows the new development concepts featuring
innovation, coordination and green development. By promoting a green development
model and green lifestyle, cities strive to reduce solid wastes at the source, enhance
the efficiency of resource utilization, and make full use of wastes. With the launch
of pilot zero-waste city programs, China entered the advanced stage of a circular
economy as part of its efforts to build an ecological civilization.
1 History of Zero-Waste City and International Experience
Zero-waste city is a concept derived from the zero waste strategy first proposed by
Dr. Paul Palmer who founded Zero Waste Systems Inc. in 1972 for the recycling
and reuse of chemicals. This concept drew extensive attention in the late 1990s. As
a goal of urban waste management and reduction, zero waste means turning waste
produced in production and life into materials that can be used in other industries,
forming a cycle that maximizes use. The first working definition of zero waste was
given by Zero Waste International Alliance in 2004 and revised in 2009: Zero waste
is “a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in
changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where
all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero waste
means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and
eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all
resources, and not burn or bury them.”
H. Cheng (B)
Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, Development Research Center of the
State Council, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_36
371