Empowering Green Transitions: Chongqing’s Zero-Waste Index Redefines Urban Waste Management

The research paper "Assessing Solid Waste Management Effectiveness Using the Zero-Waste Index, Exploration and Practice in Chongqing", authored by experts from the Chongqing Solid Waste Management Center, the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Chongqing Ecology and Environment Bureau, and the Chongqing Academy of Eco-Environmental Sciences, provides an in-depth look at how Chongqing, one of China's largest cities, is tackling the enormous challenge of solid waste management. Published in Circular Economy (2025), the study introduces the Zero-Waste Index (ZWI), a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate and guide the "Zero-Waste City" (ZWC) initiative through data-driven governance, offering a replicable model for sustainable urban development.

A National Vision Meets Local Innovation

The authors situate their study within the global waste crisis, emphasizing that global waste production could reach 3.4 billion tons by 2050. China, already managing more than 10 billion tons annually, faces the dual burden of controlling new waste and dealing with massive historical stockpiles. To respond, the Chinese government launched its ZWC pilot program in 2018, encouraging cities to cut waste at the source, promote recycling, and reduce landfill reliance. By 2025, over 100 cities had adopted this framework. Yet, as the paper notes, the absence of real-time, standardized evaluation mechanisms limited accountability and hindered policy optimization. Chongqing's researchers responded by designing the ZWI, a multidimensional, quantifiable index integrating environmental, industrial, agricultural, and institutional performance into a single coherent framework.

Inside the Zero-Waste Index Framework

The ZWI comprises 15 indicators across seven categories: industrial, agricultural, construction, domestic waste, plastic management, energy conservation, and public participation. Each indicator was chosen based on four principles, clarity, statistical reliability, comparability, and policy relevance, and weighted through expert consensus using the Delphi method. The index operates as both an analytical tool and a governance mechanism. Data are collected digitally from 41 districts and counties, analyzed using standardized scoring, and disclosed quarterly through municipal reports. Weighting emphasizes waste reduction and recycling, while scoring tiers, graded from baseline to leadership levels, allow adaptive benchmarking. Importantly, Chongqing integrated the ZWI into its official ecological performance system, making it a feedback loop that informs executive decision-making and motivates local administrators to close performance gaps.

Tracking Chongqing's Progress

Applied during the second and third quarters of 2024, the ZWI revealed a 12 percent improvement in Chongqing's overall performance, with average scores rising from 75.7 to 84.5. Leading districts achieved scores above 90, while those lagging behind struggled mainly with industrial waste treatment, construction waste compliance, and plastic pollution control. The strongest results emerged in agricultural waste reuse, rural waste classification, and institutional energy savings, demonstrating Chongqing's early success in resource circularity and low-carbon governance. Compliance-focused indicators showed remarkable improvement, construction waste regulation scores increased by 125 percent, and single-use plastic management by 209 percent, thanks to strengthened law enforcement and monitoring systems. However, progress was slower in infrastructure-dependent areas such as green factory development and municipal waste recycling, where systemic investment and behavioral change remain necessary.

Regional Disparities and Governance Lessons

The ZWI's regional breakdown revealed that Chongqing's Central Urban Area led with a score of 90.8, benefiting from its advanced economy and mature infrastructure. The Western Area lagged due to fewer new construction projects, while the Eastern Area's heavy industries inflated waste generation intensity. In the less developed Northeastern and Southeastern regions, weak industrial bases, limited investment, and delayed ZWC implementation restricted progress. Yet, across all areas, gradual improvement underscored the growing effectiveness of the ZWI framework. The study highlights how regular performance reviews, where districts meet after each quarterly assessment to compare rankings and discuss strategies, have transformed data into actionable policy intelligence. For example, one district increased its rural waste classification rate by 12 percent within a single quarter after targeted interventions prompted by low ZWI scores.

Challenges, Reforms, and the Road Ahead

While the ZWI has already enhanced Chongqing's waste governance, the authors acknowledge challenges. The weighting process depends heavily on expert judgment, creating potential bias; indicator thresholds are sometimes conservative; and national benchmarking remains inconsistent. The paper recommends incorporating data-driven weighting models like entropy analysis and the analytic hierarchy process to minimize subjectivity. It also calls for raising evaluation thresholds to align with top-performing regions such as the Yangtze and Pearl River Deltas. Further integration of digital tools, especially through the "Bayu Zhifei" platform, designed to connect data across departments, could enhance transparency and enable real-time monitoring.

The Zero-Waste Index demonstrates how scientific design and administrative accountability can merge to accelerate urban sustainability. Chongqing's 12 percent progress in just half a year proves that well-structured, data-informed governance can turn environmental policy into measurable impact. By transforming waste data into policy intelligence, the ZWI not only strengthens Chongqing's environmental management but also provides a replicable model for other cities worldwide pursuing zero-waste and circular economy goals.