Li, Ruoqi;
Liu, Miaomiao;
Shan, Yuli;
Shi, Yufan;
Zheng, Heran;
Zhang, Wei;
Yang, Jianxun;
... Hubacek, Klaus; + view all
(2023)
Large Virtual Transboundary Hazardous Waste Flows: The Case of China.
Environmental Science and Technology
10.1021/acs.est.2c07962.
Preview |
Text
Zheng_Large Virtual Transboundary Hazardous Waste Flows_AOP.pdf - Published Version Download (5MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The Basel Convention and prior studies mainly focused on the physical transboundary movements of hazardous waste (transporting waste from one region to another for cheaper disposal). Here, we take China, the world's largest waste producer, as an example and reveal the virtual hazardous waste flows in trade (outsourcing waste by importing waste-intensive products) by developing a multiregional input-output model. Our model characterizes the impact of international trade between China and 140 economies and China's interprovincial trade on hazardous waste generated by 161,599 Chinese enterprises. We find that, in 2015, virtual hazardous waste flows in China's trade reached 26.6 million tons (67% of the national total), of which 31% were generated during the production of goods that were ultimately consumed abroad. Trade-related production is much dirtier than locally consumed production, generating 26% more hazardous waste per unit of GDP. Under the impact of virtual flows, 40% of the waste-intensive production and relevant disposal duty is unequally concentrated in three Chinese provinces (including two least-developed ones, Qinghai and Xinjiang). Our findings imply the importance of expanding the scope of transboundary waste regulations and provide a quantitative basis for introducing consumer responsibilities. This may help relieve waste management burdens in less-developed "waste havens".
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Large Virtual Transboundary Hazardous Waste Flows: The Case of China |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1021/acs.est.2c07962 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c07962 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. |
| Keywords: | Basel Convention, China, hazardous waste, input−output analysis, sustainable consumption, trade, virtual flows |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10170518 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
