Module 6: Circular economy and innovations in the SWM sector

How many parts of the economy are touched by waste?

Did you know that 10% of the global plastics packaging market by weight is committed to making 100% of the
packaging reusable, compostable, or recyclable by 2025?

Do you know how technology and innovations are revolutionizing the solid waste management sector?

The world is moving from a linear economy to a circular economy, where products are used and re-used.

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How to use this module

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Getting started
Before you delve deeper into this module on circular economy and innovations in the SWM sector, think
through and then use your judgment to answer the question that follows.

About this module

The module focuses on the concepts of circular economy and the innovations in the SWM sector.

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Learning goals
Read the learning goals of this module before proceeding. It will take you about 30 minutes to complete this
module.

Definition of circular economy

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The first thing to remember about circular economy is that there is no clear or standardized definition of circular
economy. It means different things to different people and it is used in different contexts in different places. So,
keeping this in mind, let's look at what circular economy does encompass.

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What is circular economy?

Let's move on and understand how a circular economy is an alternative to the traditional linear economy.
Economic growth and development is decoupled from natural resource consumption and degradation of
ecosystems. The maximum value is extracted from resources whilst they are in use which are then recovered
and regenerated into new products at the end of the service life. A closed loop is formed where waste
generation is minimized as much as possible.

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Principles of circular economy

Now, you know that there is no standard definition of circular economy. The concept is based on numerous
principles. Here, we cover the key principles of circular economy as they relate to solid waste, keeping in mind
that there may be many more.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on principles of circular economy. Some statements are
given here. Can you identify the one that is correct? Choose the correct option and select I'm Done.

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Circular economy schools of thought

Let's move on and try to understand the different schools of thought around the concept of a circular economy.
The concept of circular economy started gaining momentum in the 1970s, but cannot be traced back to a single
person or philosophy.
Here are some of the different schools of thought that contribute to the discussion and practical application of
circular economy.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on circular economy. Some images are given here. Can
you identify the ones that could be adapted to a circular economy?
Choose all the correct options and select I'm Done.

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Use of circular economy

Let's now discuss the uses of a circular economy. You may not realize it, but a number of products are already
part of the circular economy. There are many examples of how materials can be re-used and re-processed into
new products. This happens when companies partner with each other to use the other's waste or informally, in
a need-based way, particularly in developing countries where resources are used to the utmost to maximize
benefit.
Let's take a look at a few examples.

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How is circular economy used in different economies?

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Let's move on and discuss how a circular economy functions in developing economies places like Latin America,
Africa, or South Asia.
One might wonder whether circular economy is applicable to the developing world or if it is more
suited to high-income countries.
Study the slides to learn more about the impact of circular economy on different economies.

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Before we end
Before we move on to the next topic, look at the graph showing ecological footprints of different countries and
then use your judgment to answer the question that follows.

Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on circular economy. Based on your understanding of
circular economy, which of these brands enable sharing of consumer goods?
Choose all the correct options and select I'm Done.

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Innovations in the SWM sector

Let's now move on to the next topic on innovations in the solid waste management sector. There are numerous
innovations taking place all over the world. Here. We highlight just a few of them to show how the solid waste
sector is being transformed.

Innovative ideas: 3 R’s

First, let's discuss the innovative ideas in the 3Rs section.

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Recycling ideas: 3R’s

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Now, let's look at the innovations in the recycling category.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on circular economy. Based on your understanding of
innovation in SWM, identify the original item from which the given product is upcycled.
Choose the correct option and select I'm Done.

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Innovative ideas: collection and transport

Can you think of different ways for collecting and transporting waste that can help to reduce waste? Let's
discuss the innovative ideas in the collection and transport of solid waste management section.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on digital tracking of waste collection.
Choose the correct option and select I'm Done.

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Innovative ideas: treatment and disposal

Can you think of any innovation that can be done in the treatment or disposal of waste? Let's study innovations
in the transport and disposal of waste in this slide-show.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on treatment and disposal.
Choose the correct option and select I'm Done.

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Innovations: using alternate materials

Would you like to use some other material that can be used in place of plastic? Let's study these slides to learn
about some alternate materials.

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Knowledge check
It's time now to take a break and check your knowledge on circular economy. Based on your understanding of
SWM, match the descriptions with their options.
Choose the correct options and select I'm Done.

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Innovations: citizen engagement and education

Next, imagine you are asked to visualize the solid waste management sector. what are some of the things that
immediately come to mind? Think back on everything you might have read and seen and come up with
suggestions.
Now, type your suggestions in the box provided. When done, select I'm Done.

Use of Apps in SWM

Various apps are being developed all around the world - in both low-income and high-income- to improve the
quality and convenience of SWM services. Let's take a look at just a few of the apps in the sector.

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Augmented reality in SWM

Let us now take a look at the use augmented reality in SWM. AR involves placing various layers of computer-
generated digital information over the real-world environment, to make it more meaningful.

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Innovations: clean city awards

Let's discuss how clean city awards can be used as an innovation in SWM. Countries and cities worldwide have
taken a lead in promoting environment-related initiatives by recogni6ing ‘clean cities’ and ‘green cities’ through
awards given annually.

Other innovations
Now, let’s take a look at some other interesting innovations in the SWM sector.

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Preparation for the face to face technical exchange on SWM in Seoul,Korea.

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Share your experience

Here are some questions for you regarding innovations in SWM.

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Key learning points

You have reached the end of the module. Here are the key points covered in this module.

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