The Development of Circular Economy in China’s Coal Industry: Facing Challenges of Inefficiency in the Waste Recycling Process

Yunbing Hou, Shiyu Xi (), Huaqing Li, Yudong Fan, Fuchun Li, Qiang Wen and Junwei Hao
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Yunbing Hou: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Shiyu Xi: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Huaqing Li: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Yudong Fan: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Fuchun Li: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Qiang Wen: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Junwei Hao: School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: This paper innovatively constructs a comprehensive material cycle network framework for the circular economy system of the coal industry and evaluates the circular economy efficiency of China’s provincial coal industry from 2011 to 2021 using a comprehensive evaluation model that integrates emergy analysis and dynamic network data envelopment analysis (DEA). The research delves into the evolutionary characteristics of the coal industry’s circular economy and identifies the underlying causes of inefficiency. The results reveal that the circular economy in China’s coal industry has gone through three stages: the transformation period, the reinforcement period, and the growth period, with the inefficiency of waste reutilization being the key factor restricting the overall improvement in efficiency. The circular economy model in the production phase is gradually shifting from an extensive linear model to a clean, closed-loop model, while a significant gap remains between the high-emission linear model and the low-pollution closed-loop model in the utilization phase. Furthermore, regional heterogeneity mainly arises from imbalances in the operational efficiency of the circular economy system. This study not only reveals the deep-seated reasons for the low efficiency of circular economy in China’s coal industry but also provides strategies and directions for achieving a more efficient circular economy and carbon mitigation goals.

Keywords: dynamic network DEA; circular economy; double closed-loop; coal industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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