Waste Used to Solve Shortage of Sand, Gravel

A recent guideline published by 15 central government bodies encourages the use of industrial and construction waste to help address China’s growing shortage of sand and gravel for construction, and vows to realize better overseeing of sand digging in rivers.

The sediment concentration in China’s rivers has been plummeting over recent years, with that in major rivers emptying into the sea decreasing by about 80 percent over the past decade. According to the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, dam construction – which prevents sand from going downstream – and the country’s efforts in water and soil conservation are the two major causes of the vast decrease.

Despite the trend of an increasingly shrinking supply from watercourses, the demand for the material is on the rise.

While vowing to enforce strictly controlled sand excavation from watercourses, the guideline asks to ratchet up efforts in enhancing supply by sourcing sand from industrial waste such as mine tailings and construction waste.

Experts applauded the initiative as a win-win solution for ecological protection and economic development. They said that this could help ramp up protection without disrupting the supply of the material, which is key for sustaining economic development.

“Sand and gravel are important parts of the ecological system. Their improper exploitation could worsen environmental pollution and threaten ecological safety,” said Yan Gang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning. Experts said the guideline helps address the conflicts between sand exploitation and ecological and environmental protection.