Public willingness to accept ecological compensation methods for construction and demolition waste landfilling

Due to the negative externalities associated with construction and demolition waste (C&DW) landfilling, such facilities often face strong public opposition, commonly referred to as the “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) effect. Ecological compensation, a market-based mechanism that internalizes environmental externalities by offering economic incentives to affected stakeholders, has emerged as an effective strategy to mitigate NIMBY-related resistance. A critical aspect of implementing ecological compensation is identifying methods that are publicly acceptable, thereby addressing the question of “how to compensate.” This study aims to explore compensation approaches that are both suitable for C&DW landfilling and acceptable to local communities. A comprehensive literature review was first conducted to summarize existing ecological compensation mechanisms and identify those most applicable to C&DW landfilling. Using Shenzhen, China, as a case study, public preferences regarding different compensation methods were examined through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings explicitly reveal that financial compensation is the most preferred option among the public, followed by project-based compensation, with policy-related compensation being the least preferred. Specifically, the public prefers to receive financial compensation as a lump-sum bank transfer before landfill operations, favors local village collectives managing landfills with annual profit distribution for project-based compensation, and prioritizes housing expropriation and compensation policies for policy-related compensation. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights for the development of scientifically grounded and socially acceptable ecological compensation strategies in the context of C&DW landfilling.