Characteristics of China’s “zero-waste city” workplans for the 2021–2025 period: A content analysis of the workplan documents released by 93 cities

In 2022, China designated 121 cities to implement "zero-waste city." The zero-waste workplans (ZWPs) released by the cities, rooted in a Soviet-style planned economy, outlined specific actions and offered authoritative guidelines for implementation. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of these ZWPs. A content analysis of the ZWPs documents from 93 cities, based on a three-dimensional framework (i.e., waste types, "R" principles, and policy instruments), revealed their characteristics: (1) municipal and industrial waste was the most frequently addressed waste types; (2) the "Recycle" and "Reduce" principles were the most featured "R" principles, while waste projects and legal instruments were the most prevalent policy instruments; (3) the selection of policy instruments varied significantly among different waste types and "R" principles; and (4) nine city-level factors were correlated with and influenced the ZWPs' selection of waste types, "R" principles, and policy instruments. Our study illustrated the Chinese approaches to the "zero-waste city" programme and offered policy implications for optimising the selection of waste types, "R" principles, and policy instruments, providing valuable insights for future zero-waste policies and plans.