{"id":72055,"date":"2026-04-22T18:24:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=72055"},"modified":"2026-04-22T18:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T12:55:24","slug":"circular-economy-waste-to-wealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-04-2026\/circular-economy-waste-to-wealth","title":{"rendered":"Circular Economy: Turning Waste into Wealth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Economy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Union Minister Jitendra Singh highlighted that the world is undergoing a paradigm shift towards a circular economy, where waste is increasingly treated as a resource, at the <strong>Global Symposium on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy <\/strong>held in New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Circular Economy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The circular economy (CE) is a model of production that <strong>prioritises waste reduction or elimination at all stages<\/strong> of the product life cycle, from raw materials extraction and manufacturing to disposal and reuse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"343932\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1014\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-135.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"has-transparency wp-image-72056\" style=\"--dominant-color: #343932; aspect-ratio:0.9902376128200405;width:439px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-135.png 1014w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-135-297x300.png 297w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-135-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-135-768x776.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India\u2019s circular economy<\/strong> is expected to have a <strong>market value of $2 trillion <\/strong>and create <strong>10 million jobs <\/strong>by the year <strong>2050.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of Circular Economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Economic Opportunities: <\/strong>The <strong>UNDP <\/strong>estimates that a global switch to circular economy models could generate <strong>$4.5 trillion<\/strong> in economic benefits by <strong>2030<\/strong>, while also <strong>reducing emissions<\/strong> and creating stable green jobs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Job Creation:<\/strong> Expands employment opportunities in recycling, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and sustainable product design.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competitive Advantage:<\/strong> Businesses adopting circular models gain a market edge as consumers increasingly prefer sustainable products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a9b4cf\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"891\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-136.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-72057\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a9b4cf; aspect-ratio:2.8835013945505255;width:617px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-136.png 891w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-136-300x104.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-136-768x266.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 891px) 100vw, 891px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Case Studies in Circular Economy Transition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sweden\u2019s Waste-to-Energy Model: <\/strong>Sweden<strong> <\/strong>is a global leader in the circular economy, with less than <strong>1% of household waste sent to landfills.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Approximately <strong>50% of waste is recycled,<\/strong> while the other <strong>50% is converted into energy<\/strong> through advanced waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plants, providing district heating to ~1 million homes and electricity to 250,000 homes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indore\u2019s &#8220;Waste-to-Wealth&#8221; Model: <\/strong>Indore hosts<strong> Asia\u2019s largest<\/strong> municipal solid waste-based <strong>Bio-CNG plant<\/strong>, processing 550 TPD of organic waste to generate ~17,000 kg Bio-CNG and 100 tonnes of manure daily, thereby creating a closed-loop waste-to-energy system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The city\u2019s <strong>100% segregation, zero-landfill model, PPP financing, and carbon credit monetisation<\/strong> demonstrate a scalable urban circular economy that integrates waste management with energy security and revenue generation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India&#8217;s Leadership in Circular Economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U):<\/strong> Strengthening urban waste management with <strong>3R ( Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) principles<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GOBAR-Dhan Scheme: <\/strong>Promoting waste-to-wealth initiatives through biogas and organic waste processing.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This scheme currently covers <strong>67.8% <\/strong>of the total number of districts in India, with 1008 biogas plants being fully operational as of February 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>E-Waste Management Rules (2022): <\/strong>Strengthening circular economy practices in electronic waste disposal.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic: <\/strong>Encouraging industries to take accountability for plastic waste.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India banned single use plastic in <strong>2022.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific <\/strong>was held in Jaipur, India, in March 2025, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation for sustainable waste management and circular economy initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Implementing Circular Economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technical expertise:<\/strong> Many businesses, municipalities, and citizens are unfamiliar with circular economy principles and lack the technical knowledge to implement them effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High initial investment costs: <\/strong>Setting up circular systems, such as recycling infrastructure or sustainable product design, requires significant upfront capital.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uneven corporate Adoption: <\/strong>SMEs, which form a large part of India\u2019s economy, are largely not onboard, making the transition non-uniform across sectors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Insufficient enforcement policy: <\/strong>While policies exist, weak enforcement and limited incentives slow down adoption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a <strong>need for a trickle-down effect<\/strong> where circular economy concepts reach all levels of industry, beyond large corporations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote repair and reuse<\/strong> of products to extend their lifecycle and reduce resource consumption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve recycling processes to prevent accumulation and environmental pollution through <strong>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiatives.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/world-witnessing-paradigm-shift-to-circular-economy-union-minister-jitendra-singh\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>\nContext<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\nUnion Minister Jitendra Singh highlighted that the world is undergoing a paradigm shift towards a circular economy, where waste is increasingly treated as a resource, at the Global Symposium on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy held in New Delhi.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/p>\n<p>What is Circular Economy?<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"\t>\nThe circular economy (CE) is a model of production that prioritises waste reduction or elimination at all stages of the product life cycle, from raw materials extraction and manufacturing to disposal and reuse.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\nIndia\u2019s circular economy is expected to have a market value of $2 trillion and create 10 million jobs by the year 2050.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/22-04-2026\/circular-economy-waste-to-wealth \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72055"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72059,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72055\/revisions\/72059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}