Most recyclers of construction waste are struggling to make ends meet, despite waste management becoming a growing challenge for cities nationwide, according to business owners and experts.

Only 5 percent of China's construction waste is recycled, compared with about 90 percent in the European Union and 97 percent in Japan and South Korea, said Chen Jialong, deputy director of the National Committee of Construction Waste Management and Recycling at the China Association of Urban Environmental Sanitation.

On Wednesday, the Beijing Daily reported that the Chinese capital generates about 30 million metric tons of construction waste every year, but less than 30 percent of it is recycled. A recycling facility in the city, owned by the Shougang Group, is largely unused, with just 20 percent of its production capacity in operation, the report said.