Analysis of the circular economy efficiency of China's industrial wastewater and solid waste - based on a comparison before and after the 13th Five-Year Plan

The circular economy has been incorporated into China's Five-Year Plan as an important policy tool for sustainable development with the aim of resolving the conflicts among economic growth, energy shortages, and environmental pollution. This research introduces industrial waste emission and recycling indicators into the window two-stage DDF recycle model, explores industrial circular economy efficiency in 30 provinces of China from 2011 to 2019 in the two stages of production and recycle, and focuses on efficiency improvement and stability during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The results show the following. (1) During the study period, especially during the 13th Five-Year Plan, the circular economy efficiency in most provinces is positively improved, and its improvement is more significant in the central and western provinces. (2) Production stage efficiency is higher than recycle stage efficiency. Whether measured in the overall process, the production stage, or the recycle stage. In mean efficiency, the east is better than the central, and the west is the worst. (3) In terms of efficiency stability during the policy period, the central is the most stable, the east is the second most stable, and the west is the least stable. Shanghai and Tianjin present high efficiency and high stability; Zhejiang, Anhui, and Qinghai present high efficiency, but low stability; and Ningxia, Yunnan, and Xinjiang perform poorly in terms of efficiency values and stability. (4) Each province could adapt to its own situation, accelerate the adjustment of the industrial structure, optimize the energy consumption structure, and improve the overall resource utilization efficiency and recycling efficiency. The government could tilt the resource layout towards provinces with development difficulties, and meanwhile promote efficient development of recycling policies with dividends that address regional imbalances. [Display omitted] •The efficiency of China's circular economy is improved after the 13th Five-Year Plan.•Efficiency improvement is greater in the central and west regions.•The efficiency of the production stage is higher than that of the recycle stage.•The east region has the best efficiency performance, and the central region has the best efficiency stability.