Circular economy practices within energy and waste management sectors of India: A meta-analysis

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2020-05, Vol.304, p.123018-123018, Article 123018
• Main Authors: Priyadarshini, Priya, Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Circular economy; Climate Change; India; Physical Phenomena; Policy frameworks; Renewable Energy; Solid Waste; Sustainable development goals; Waste Management
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123018

[Display omitted] •Transition from linear to Circular Economy is imperative for global sustainability.•Evaluation of CE penetration within energy and waste management sectors of India.•Existing policy frameworks adopt CE principles in a fragmented manner.•Waste management through segregation and recovery could boost transition towards CE.•Inclusion of CE tenets within policies is essential for the green growth of India. Adoption of circular practices within environmental management is gaining worldwide recognition owing to rapid resource depletion and detrimental effects of climate change. The present study therefore attempted to ascertain the linkages between circular economy (CE) and sustainable development (SD) by examining the role of renewable energy (RE) and waste management (WM) sectors in CE combined with policy setup and enabling frameworks boosting the influx of circularity principles in the Indian context. Results revealed that research dedicated towards energy recovery from waste in India lacks integration with SD. Findings also revealed that although India is extremely dedicated towards attainment of the SDGs, penetration of CE principles within administration requires considerable efforts especially since WM regulations for municipal, plastic and e-waste lack alignment with CE principles. Integration of WM and RE policies under an umbrella CE policy would provide further impetus to the attainment of circularity and SD within the Indian economy.