Circular Economy – ISWA 2016

ISWA believes that resource management plays a central role in sustainable development, and the waste management sector is crucial in optimizing resource use within the circular economy.

The circular economy represents a significant opportunity for the waste management sector and serves as a catalyst for new skills, innovation, knowledge, and development. It can generate new technologies, business models, and partnerships.

To realize its potential, the waste management sector must develop its own “roadmap” toward the circular economy and consider the need for intersectoral collaboration.

ISWA working groups have published a series of 6 reports related to the circular economy:

• Report 1 – Emerging Trends and Ideas
• Report 2 – Cycles and Cascades in the Circular Economy
• Report 3 – Closing the Loops in the Circular Economy
• Report 4 – Carbon, Nutrients, and Soils
• Report 5 – Energy and Fuels
• Report 6 – Resources and Opportunities in the Circular Economy

The conclusions of these reports are as follows:

1. Sustainable waste management can provide more goods and have a lower environmental impact.
2. Everything must begin with waste prevention.
3. New technologies are absolutely necessary to close the life cycles of various products.
4. The circular economy needs energy just as much as it needs primary and secondary raw materials (WtE facilities remain an important option).
5. New markets need to be opened for recyclable waste.
6. The EU legislation must be revised and complemented to ensure a smooth transition to the circular economy without significant impact.
7. All participants must collaborate and engage in the transition period to the circular economy (producers, consumers, policymakers, and the waste management sector).