Waste management and environmentalism in China

This free course, Waste management and environmentalism in China, is an introduction to waste generation and waste management processes currently being practiced in China. This course explores how the Chinese can deal with increasing volumes of waste, drawing parallels with the UK experience of waste management. It also discusses the conceptual tools that can be used to make the cycle of material use, waste production and treatment more sustainable. The course ends with a brief examination of the growth of environmentalism in China.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Waste in China
• 1 Waste in China
• 1.1 Municipal solid waste in China
• Informal waste collection
• 1.2 Improving the treatment of MSW
• Determining the size of the problem
• Strategy 1: Formal collection
• Strategy 2: Understanding the composition of waste
• Strategy 3: Improving technology
• Strategy 4: Use of economic and legal instruments
• 1.3 Managing waste from cradle to grave – life-cycle assessment
• 1.4 Managing waste from cradle to cradle – circular economy
• The circular economy in China
• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Sharing economy
• 2 The growth of environmentalism
• 2 The growth of environmentalism
• 2.1 The citizens mobilise
• 2.2 Environmental pressure groups
• Pressure groups and politics
• Intervention at Lake Taihu
• Conclusion
• References
• Acknowledgements