Waste Management for Global Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of China-US Policies and Practices (CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance)

This book represents a pioneering contribution to the study of municipal solid waste and the policies that can mitigate its negative impact on both the environment and the economy. It is structured around a comprehensive exploration of municipal waste with focus on food waste and plastic waste in China and the United States, the two largest economies and the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. By drawing a comparative analysis and case studies from businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), this book sheds light on an often overlooked but critically important area of environmental policy. The authors offer a set of concrete policy recommendations that span regulatory frameworks, measurement systems, technological innovations, financing strategies, and market-based approaches. A hybrid governance model that combines government regulation with market incentives is advocated, creating a dynamic system in which waste is not only managed but also converted into renewable energy, benefiting both the economy and the environment. The book is well-structured and accessible to all audiences interested in environmental policy and waste management. It offers valuable insights for policymakers in governmental or professional institutions, helping them devise more effective solutions for municipal waste management.

Haifeng Huang is a distinguished academic and thought leader in sustainable development and environmental management. He currently serves as the Co-Chancellor of the China Institute for Responsible Management Education Sustainable Development at Changzhou University and is an associate member of the Club of Rome and a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the USA(2023-2024. As Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Ecological Development Union International (EDUI), he has significantly influenced sustainable practices in China, particularly through his contributions to waste management and the green economy transition. His extensive academic career includes professorial roles at Peking University and Beijing University of Technology. His research and published works, spanning over 10 books, have shaped national policies, such as the Recycling Economy Promotion Law (2008) in China. His proposal on waste classification in 2009 earned him the Most Influential Proposal Award in Beijing. Holding a PhD from Humboldt University in Berlin, Huang’s work has received national and international recognition, marking him as a pivotal figure in promoting responsible management education and sustainable development globally.

Samuel O Idowu is Professor of Accounting and Sustainability at the Guildhall School of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University, UK where he is currently the course leader for the MSc Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability and Advanced Diploma in Professional Development (ADPD) Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability. Samuel is also a Professor of CSR and Sustainability at Nanjing University of Finance & Economics, China. He is a fellow member of the Chartered Governance Institute, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Governance Institute and a named freeman of the City of London.  He is the CEO and President of the Global Corporate Governance Institute: an international network of CSR scholars. Samuel has published over one hundred articles in both professional and academic journals and contributed chapters in several edited books and is the Editor-in-Chief of three major global reference books by Springer – the Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR), the Dictionary of Corporate Social Responsibility (DCSR) and the Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management (ESM) and he is a Series Editor for Springer’s CSR, Sustainability, Ethics and Governance books and Research Series on Responsible Enterprise Ecosystems . Samuel is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Business and the American Journal of Economics and Business Administration.

Hao Sun is the corresponding author of the book project, Waste Management for Global Sustainability, he is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at Gallaudet University's School of Civic Leadership, Business, and Social Change. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at American University's School of Public Affairs and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Langston University Center for Rehabilitation Research and Training. His professional experience includes working as a Senior Research Analyst at the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation and Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative (RPI), Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, as well as with major media outlets like China Central Television (CCTV) and Cable News Network (CNN). Holding a Ph.D. from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the State University of New York, along with master’s degrees in economics from Central Michigan University and in Political Science from Syracuse University, Dr. Sun has published academic work in leading journals such as Public Management Review, The World Economy, Global Economy Journal, etc. His research has been supported by Google, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation, and cited by institutions such as the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among others.

Chuanbing Zhou is Research Professor at State Key Lab for Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; PI of the Research Group of Urban Metabolism and Industrial Ecology; Director of the Technical Commission of Eco-Health, Council member, Ecological Society of China. His main research interests are sustainable solid waste management and ecological engineering, which focus on data innovation in waste science, organic and plastic waste recycling, eco-remediation of solid waste landfills, and sustainable solid waste management policies. He published over eighty papers in scientific journals such as Nature Cities, Engineering, Environmental Science & Technology, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Waste Management, Journal of Ecology, H-index is 26 (Google Scholar). He is the Youth editorial board member of Circular Economy. He is the reviewer for the scientific journals such as Waste Management, Environmental Science & Technology, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, iScience, Resource Conservation & Recycling, Journal of Industrial Ecology, and so forth.

Yang Li is a Research Scholar at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. He is also a member of the China Academic Committee for Responsible Management Education. Previously, he served as a Visiting Assistant Researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and as Deputy Secretary-General of the 2023 Forum on Responsible Management Education and Sustainable Development in China. In 2021, he was the regional student leader in East Asia and Southeast Asia of the United Nations Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), and in 2022, he chaired the PRME Global Student Summit. His research interests focus on corporate responsibility, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental economics. 

Zhangchen Wang is a Research Assistant at the Institute for China-America Studies, where he leads the Blue Carbon and Climate Change (BCCC) Program. His research primarily focuses on climate change policy and sustainable development. He also researches U.S.-China relations and security policies. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University, with a concentration in Development, Climate, and Sustainability.