Cultural framework in China and its impacts on the e-waste recycling system
Chinese consumers view electronic and durable goods as valuable, even when they are old, and are reluctant to dispose of them. They expect compensation when disposing of their old electronics old and often ‘sell’ their non-working appliances to collectors. Thus, culturally, the Chinese are used to the collection and recycling of old and waste materials which are then repaired for further use or recycled for raw material.
Given the close relationship between resource and waste, and with the increase in the quantity of waste generated, China is trying to encourage recycling and reusing. Some non-government organizations (NGO) in Beijing such as Green Peace and Beijing Earth Village Environment Centre are publicizing environmental consciousness and encouraging public involvement in recycling.
Given the close relationship between resource and waste, and with the increase in the quantity of waste generated, China is trying to encourage recycling and reusing. Some non-government organizations (NGO) in Beijing such as Green Peace and Beijing Earth Village Environment Centre are publicizing environmental consciousness and encouraging public involvement in recycling.
| System | Sub-categories | Indicator | Unit | Value / Qualitative description |
| Society & Culture | Socio – cultural system | Socio – cultural system | [-] | China has an ancient culture and language which has evolved over centuries, dating all the way back to the 1700's B.C. The third largest country by area, it is also the most populous nation in the world, with over a billion citizens. The majority of the population, over 90%, speaks Mandarin, the official language of China. While there are several Mandarin hundred dialects spoken in the country, the basic written language is the same all over the country. Traditionally, China had a very distinct class system, which underwent a drastic change after the political upheavals in 1949. Today its society is a combination of traditional and modern values. |
| Gini Index of income inequality | Gini index | 40 (1997, Nationmaster.com; average 40.84;) | ||
| Population living below poverty line | Population below poverty line | % | 10% (2002, est., Nationmaster.com) | |
| Population growth | Population growth rate | % | 0.60 % (2002, est., Nationmaster.com) | |
| Expenditure on health | Public expenditure on health in % of GDP | % | 2.0% (2000, UNDP) | |
| Expenditure on education | Public expenditure on education in % of GDP | % | 2.10% (2000, est. UNDP) | |
| Environmental awareness | Environmental awareness | [-] | The Chinese people have not traditionally felt responsible for maintaining "common areas" as is the case in most western countries. Everything outside one's gate is the responsibility of the government, and officials devoted either funds or resources in the form of required labour to maintain roads, canals, or natural resources. Given this mind-set, the people have not worried about dumping their garbage in the street or pouring waste from factories into local streams as they feel it is the government's responsibility to clean it up. After decades of neglect, concern for the environment is becoming more prevalent in Chinese society as it realises that economic growth at the cost of environmental sustainability is not viable. The environmental movement and grassroots non-governmental organizations represent a relatively new phenomenon in China. There is an increasing trend in NGO’s (known as social organizations in China) championing the cause of environmental protection. However, Chinese NGOs differ from their counterparts elsewhere as they must have a state or Communist Party sponsor involved in their development and registration, as well as an annual operations review. "Citizen-organized NGOs [in China] are in their first generation of growth and hopefully in the future they can develop the management skills needed to continue their work," observes Jiang Ru, a Stanford University doctoral candidate studying the groups. Source: US Embassy China National Geographic |
