Circular Economy: Global Perspective

A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life. Circular economy (CE) is important towards sustainable development, resources circulation and conservation, involving closing of material loops and cascading used resources, to prevent waste occurrence, and transforming the resulting residual streams into new (secondary) resources.  Strategies and legislative framework for waste management are important steps for development of a more CE where resource efficiency becomes the key driver for both economic growth and environmental protections.  A few countries achieved good results implementing CE as a replacement of the linear economy. Resource managers and planners should thoroughly identify factors to implement CE for societal benefits. This book presents how resource consumption is minimized with rational use based on 3Rs, legislative framework and government supports towards implementing CE initiatives, example of best practices, future plans and targets in different countries those are helpful for researchers, planners and implementers.

Dr. Sadhan Kumar Ghosh is the Dean of faculty of engineering and technology and Professor & Former Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Founder Coordinator of the Centre for QMS at Jadavpur University, India. A prominent figure in the fields of waste management, circular economy, SME sustainability, green manufacturing, green factories, and TQM, he served as the Director, CBWE, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, and L&T Ltd. Prof Ghosh is also the founder and Chairman of the IconSWM and President of the International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water, as well as the Chairman of the Indian Congress on Quality, Environment, Energy and Safety Management Systems (ICQESMS). He was awarded a Distinguished Visiting Fellowship by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, to work on 'Energy Recovery from Municipal Solid Waste' in 2012. He received the Boston Pledge and NABC 2006 award for the most eco-friendly innovation 'Conversion of plastics & jute waste to wealth' in the ESP/50K Business Plan Competition at Houston, Texas, USA. He holds patents on waste plastics processing technology and high-speed jute ribboning technology preventing water wastage and occupational hazards. He is member of  ISO Working Groups  concerning waste management (ISO/TC 297). His projects have been funded by European Union Horizon 2020 (2018-2022) on waste water, Royal Academy of Engineering (2018-2020 & 2012) on Circular economy in SMEs, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation (SRNSF) of Georgia (2019-2021) on resource circulation from landfill, GCRF 2019/2020 Pump Priming - Aston Project UK on impact of wellbeing & mental health on productivity & sustainability in Industries, UNCRD/DESA as Expert (2016-2018) on SWM, Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) (2016-2019) on green manufacturing, British Council & DST (2012-2014), Royal Society (2015), Erasmus Plus (2016-17), ISWMAW (2018-21), Indian Statistical Institute (2019-2021), Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES, Japan) (2019), South Asian Cooperation Environmental Programme (SACEP, Sri Lanka)(2018-2020) for preparing SWM roadmap for South Asian Countries, Jute Technology Mission (2008-2011), Central Pollution Control Board (1999-2002), Govt. of India on plastics waste management and a few others.