To end the mounting crisis of landfills and toxic waste, India must embrace circular economy models that regenerate resources and rethink responsibility – from boardrooms to back alleys

For many living in cities, the ungainly sight of landfills, news of fibres breaking out in them and resulting degradation of air and water around them are an unfortunate reality. One of the major culprits behind these deteriorating ecosystems is the linear economy. Its take-make-waste lifecycle has led to immense environmental damage over the years. Depletion of natural virgin resources, greenhouse gas emissions, leakages and leaching of toxic substances from landfills are the major issues that follow linear models. To manage this unchecked generation of waste, circular economy models must be adopted for all products. These models take an approach that focuses on reducing waste, reusing resources and creating regenerative systems.

At their core, circular economy models prioritise the extension of the lifecycles of products. This is achieved by reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling products that are already in the market. Keeping products in use for longer periods diverts waste from landfills and reduces the burden on natural resources. A report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) estimates that by 2050, India can generate a profit of up to Rs 40 lakh crore and reduce GHG emissions by 44 per cent via the adoption of circular strategies.

Many industries have already initiated circular practices in their products and processes. However, all stakeholders that make up the economy – producers, traders, consumers, policymakers, not-for-profit organisations, waste workers, and activists – have critical roles in creating circularity and making it sustainable. Both formal and informal sectors are instrumental in shaping circular economy models.

Boardroom Innovations
Manufacturers and industries have the power to set the course for a circular economy through product design and waste-as-a-resource thinking. In the current linear structures, the only option for a product at the end of its life is to be disposed of as waste. By rethinking product design, manufacturers can integrate reusability and recyclability into their products. For example, by collecting and recycling concrete debris, construction waste can be made into recycled concrete which can be further used in construction. Not only does this prevent debris from ending up in landfills, but it also reduces the burden on virgin materials like water and limestone, which are used to manufacture concrete. Another example of a recyclable material is PET bottles – these can be recycled into bottles, planters, textiles, art installations, and even furniture such as benches, chairs and tables – thus reducing plastic waste.

Lifecycle assessments (LCAs) are also an important tool to minimise waste and improve efficiency at each stage of the product’s life. LCAs analyse the environmental impact of a product or process from the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution in markets, and its disposal or recycling. This comprehensive study identifies stages in the product’s development that have high environmental impact – thus informing strategic decisions about raw material use, improving manufacturing processes, or redesigning products to increase their durability or potential for repair.

Besides these steps, product-as-a-service (PaaS) business models can also help in reducing waste and promoting product reuse. A great example of this is furniture and appliance renting. Aggregators

lease out these products to the consumer for a specific time period at a fixed rental rate – when the consumers no longer require the products, they can return them and free them up for loaning to subsequent consumers. This model helps drive product reuse, generate economic value, and perhaps most importantly, prevents durables from ending up in landfills prematurely.

While corporates can set practices and pathways for a circular economy, they would not be complete without the involvement of communities, end consumers and waste-workers, who are often overlooked and underappreciated in linear economy models.

Strengthening Circularity with Backroom Contributions
NGOs, local waste and recycling infrastructure, informal workers and consumers form the bottom-up approach to a circular economy. They each have a critical role to play in the segregation, collection, and recycling while raising awareness on reducing waste. A change in attitudes and behaviours towards reducing and recycling waste is essential for implementing circular practices.

NGOs and grassroots organisations can propel this shift by engaging with communities and understanding their challenges. These organisations can bring or highlight practical solutions that help people overcome the challenges faced segregating and collecting waste. For example, Waste Warriors works in the Himalayan region with communities and block-level officials to collect and store waste. Besides building the capacities of officials, they have created a model where people from various communities are encouraged to become entrepreneurs and charge a fee from the community members and institutions to collect waste.

Informal workers and waste-pickers drive solid waste collection in the country. However, they often work in hazardous conditions with low pay and not enough recognition for their work. One of the highlights of transitioning to circular models is also creating formal employment and viable livelihoods for people in the waste economy. With proper equipment and incentives, waste collection work can generate several jobs, and encourage the society to view it as productive and dignified work.

Consumers are an integral part of the circular economy as drivers of demand. They are increasingly aware of their ecological footprint and look for eco-friendly options. PWC estimated that consumers globally are ready to pay a 9.7 per cent premium on sustainable products. This promising outlook on sustainability also includes a focus on waste management. With awareness and support several communities have been able to institute waste segregation and collection facilities on a regular basis. For example, the HSR Layout in Bangalore ensures that its 650 households segregate waste and has facilitated a door-to-door collection practice, and storage in a dry waste collection centre.

Convergence Between the Top-down and Bottom-up Approaches
Instituting a circular economy is a collective effort where all stakeholders must come together to co-create solutions. Here, companies and policymakers can converge to create favourable ecosystems that enable people to responsibly deal with waste. While Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can make manufacturers accountable for products’ lifecycles, policymakers must also focus on creating channels for waste collection and formalising jobs and safe working conditions for workers. Where companies can take up the capital and operational costs of running waste collection and segregation centres, government bodies and non-profits can institute models that effectively channel waste from communities to these centres.

Raising awareness about circular practices and making people understand how they can help the environment and raise quality of life is also critical. Here companies can offer resources to NGOs to conduct awareness sessions in educational institutions, setting up demonstrable models for waste collections in residential societies or commercial complexes, and develop educational materials that effectively explain circular economy, its processes and what people can do as individuals to reduce waste and recycle.

Towards a Circular Future
Circular economy goes beyond business innovation in isolation and reimagines how we produce, consume, and collaborate. While boardroom innovations set the strategic direction through sustainable design and business model transformation, backroom contributions ensure these strategies translate into ground-level impact. In the midst of this climate crisis, circular economy presents an opportunity of not only creating an environmentally sustainable future but also an economically robust one. From corporate boardrooms to communities every stakeholder has a vital role in building an economy that works within planetary boundaries while creating prosperity for all.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.)