Discussion on the Way to Resolve Disputes on Construction of Waste-to-Energy Plants in China

摘要

With the rapid economic development and accelerated urbanization, urban population has been expanding, which resulted in large amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in China. Therefore, the serious garbage siege in large number of china cities emerges. Taking the heated debate on construction of the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in PanYu District of Guangdong Province as an example, the authors introduced this argument and discussed different views among three stakeholders from the perspective of public policy. At first, current state of WTE plants in China and their application in western countries is investigated. The investigation showed that waste incineration was a cost-effective way for MSW treatment, and the necessary prerequisites to reliable operation included suitable site selection, reasonable waste separation and recovery, advanced technology and equipment, professional personnel training and improved supervision and management system. In the game related to the public interest, only when the whole community joint together, can an effective way be found to resolve the disputes and keep the Nash equilibrium among the government and the public to achieve a harmonious society.