The need for effective solid waste management (SWM) is an important environmental and public health issue. As a key way of minimizing municipal solid waste (MSW), source separation has in recent years become the centre of discussion in China. Following the example of Shanghai, the city of Zhengzhou introduced its mandatory waste separation measures on 1 December 2019. But does the mandatory regulation work? This study aims to investigate the waste separation behaviour of college students in Zhengzhou under the mandatory regulation and the motivations behind students’ behaviour. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out on 62 university campuses in Zhengzhou City, and a total of 1747 valid questionnaires were completed across these campuses and analysed. It was found that under Zhengzhou’s mandatory measures, college students do have a basic knowledge of waste separation and most are familiar with where kitchen waste should be placed, but they have problems categorizing some recyclables such as glass, hazardous waste such as lightbulbs and other waste such as cigarette butts and napkins. It was also found that college students’ waste separation behaviour, their attitude towards waste separation and the convenience of waste sorting facilities in Zhengzhou in the mandatory era have been improved compared to the era prior to mandatory waste separation. The results also indicate that most of college students (86.7%) always or sometimes undertake waste separation, and students majoring in science and senior year undergraduates are more likely to participate in the practice of waste separation. Other influencing factors of college students’ waste separation behaviour include convenience of waste sorting facilities, their willingness to separate waste, knowledge of a related field, attitude towards waste separation, peer pressure as well as the existence of a reward and penalty system. Management strategies for improving college students’ waste separation behaviour under mandatory regulation are also discusses and a number of recommendations for improvement are made.

Waste characterization is the first step to a successful waste management system. This paper explores the trend of solid waste generated on a university campus (Longzi Lake Campus of Henan Agricultural University) in China and the factors that influence the potential for recycling of the waste. Face-to-face interviews were carried out for 12 consecutive months on a campus in central China, and 416 interviewees were questioned. It was found that 7.32 tonnes of solid waste were generated on the campus each day, of which 79.31% were recyclable. The characterization of major waste streams are discussed, and the results are compared with comparable data from five universities in a range of other countries (Mexico, Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia). The annual growth of GDP per capita in China over the past five years before the research appeared to play an important role in the increasing of food waste on university campus, and the proportion of food waste is found to have a positive influence on recycling potential.

China’s quick economic recovery from COVID-19 has presented a narrow but vast opportunity to build an economy that is cleaner, fairer, and safer. Will China grab this opportunity? The answer rests with both business managers and the government. Based on a questionnaire survey of 1160 owners and managers of companies headquartered in 32 regions of China and covering 30 industries, this paper explores how COVID-19 has impacted Chinese business, especially with regard to the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental). The results suggest that Chinese companies’ sustainability priorities have been shifted towards the social dimension both during COVID-19 and into the post-pandemic phase, regardless of the type of ownership, company size, or market focus (domestic, overseas, or mixture of the two). However, all types of company prioritize the need for economic sustainability in the post-pandemic phase and in relative terms the importance of the environmental dimension has been diminished. Hence the potential for a post-pandemic environmental rebound effect in China is clear. But it does not have to be the case if Chinese businesses and the government take actions to change its recovery plans to embrace the environmental dimension of sustainability. The paper puts forward some suggestions and recommendations for businesses and the government.

At present, the research on the relationship of corporate social responsibility and economic performance mostly adopts the method of large-scale sampling, but does not distinguish the sample industries and regions, so the relevant research needs to be further analyzed. Based on the 2008-2017 data of 78 listed enterprises in Henan province, the relationship between corporate social responsibility and economic performance in 7 industries is measured by 8 indexes through Arellano-Bond dynamic panel data model. The research shows that the social responsibility of listed enterprises in Henan Province has a lagging impact on the economic performance of enterprises, which has a negative impact on the short-term and a positive impact on the long-term. The common point is that the responsibility of the investor has a positive impact on the economic performance of the enterprise, and other aspects vary greatly due to industry categories. In general, the degree of corporate social responsibility of listed enterprises in Henan Province is relatively low.

To alleviate the plight of municipal solid waste management, penalties were implemented in China. However, it is unclear how penalty affects residents' waste separation behavior. This study aims to analyze the impact of penalty on residents' waste separation behavior and the role of personal norms and trust in authorities. A theoretical model of the impact of penalty on residents' waste separation behavior was established based on deterrence theory and normative activation model. Using online survey data from 628 respondents in Zhengzhou, China, an empirical analysis was performed by employing the moderated mediation model. The results showed that residents' perceived penalty certainty and penalty severity positively influenced their waste separation behavior through the mediation effect of personal norm. Penalty certainty had a direct impact on waste separation behavior, whereas penalty severity had no direct impact on waste separation behavior. Trust in authorities positively moderated the mediation effect of personal norm. The higher the trust in authorities, the stronger mediating effect of personal norm. Some recommendations were proposed to improve residents' waste separation behavior under the mandatory policy. This paper presents a new perspective and theoretical guidelines for the local government to improve residents' waste separation behaviors in China and offers useful insights into waste separation management for other countries.