Opinion - (2025) Volume 10, Issue 6
Received: 01-Nov-2025, Manuscript No. IJPHS-25-175387;
Editor assigned: 03-Nov-2025, Pre QC No. P-175387;
Reviewed: 17-Nov-2025, QC No. Q-175387;
Revised: 24-Nov-2025, Manuscript No. R-175387;
Published:
01-Dec-2025
, DOI: 10.37421/2157-7587.2025.10.478
Citation: Andersson, Selina. ”Sustainable Waste Management in a Circular Economy.” Int J Pub Health Safe 10 (2025):478.
Copyright: © 2025 Andersson S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The circular economy represents a transformative paradigm for sustainable solid waste management. This approach systematically focuses on minimizing waste generation, recovering valuable resources, and significantly reducing overall environmental impact. It champions diverse strategies such as rigorous waste reduction, innovative reuse practices, comprehensive recycling programs, and efficient energy recovery methods. The success of such a system inherently relies on well-crafted policies, cutting-edge technological advancements, and active public participation. Research further illuminates current challenges and identifies promising future directions to establish a truly circular global waste system [1].
Specifically, the management of e-waste in India presents a complex landscape characterized by significant hurdles. These include the widespread prevalence of informal recycling practices, a noticeable lack of public awareness regarding proper disposal, and critical inadequacies in existing infrastructure. Despite these challenges, there are clear opportunities to formalize the e-waste sector, enhance resource recovery efforts, and stimulate job creation, all within a robust circular economy framework. Key policy recommendations are essential to foster and sustain effective e-waste practices across the region [2].
Effective food waste management plays a pivotal role in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By actively pursuing strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle food waste, societies can directly address pressing issues like environmental degradation, widespread food insecurity, and the depletion of finite resources. Various advanced treatment technologies and targeted policy interventions are being explored to achieve these goals. A critical aspect is the adoption of integrated approaches and fostering strong stakeholder collaboration throughout the entire food supply chain to build a more sustainable food system [3].
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges, particularly in healthcare waste management. A systematic review revealed a drastic surge in medical waste volumes, placing immense strain on already stretched infrastructure, and heightening infection risks for workers and communities. In response, effective strategies have been identified, including improved waste segregation practices, the deployment of advanced treatment technologies, and the establishment of robust policy frameworks. These measures are crucial for mitigating the significant environmental and public health threats posed by the substantial increase in pandemic-generated waste [4].
Construction and demolition waste (CDW) management is another area requiring significant attention, especially its integration with circular economy principles. This systematic review highlighted the substantial environmental impact of CDW, advocating for effective strategies such as waste prevention, extensive reuse, and comprehensive recycling programs to drastically minimize reliance on landfills. A successful transition towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient construction sector necessitates strong policy support, continuous technological innovation, and collaborative efforts among all stakeholders [5].
The escalating problem of textile waste within the fashion industry demands urgent and comprehensive management strategies. Reviews address the profound environmental impact of textile waste and explore a range of solutions, including various recycling methods, creative upcycling initiatives, and designing products for extended longevity. Significant challenges persist in the widespread implementation of these solutions, often due to technological limitations and ingrained consumer behavior patterns. Future directions point towards fostering a more circular and sustainable textile economy through continuous innovation and proactive policy intervention [6].
Agricultural waste management holds considerable potential for facilitating bioenergy production and fostering a circular economy, particularly within developing nations. This involves exploring and implementing diverse technologies capable of converting agricultural residues into valuable resources, such as biogas, biochar, and various biofuels. The discussion encompasses the numerous environmental benefits and economic opportunities these strategies offer, while also acknowledging the inherent challenges in their large-scale implementation. Integrated policies and robust infrastructure development are advocated to fully unlock this potential [7].
Plastic waste recycling and upcycling are critical components of the transition towards a comprehensive circular economy model. This paper thoroughly reviews the challenges and opportunities in this domain, detailing various recycling technologies, including mechanical, chemical, and biological approaches, and assessing their respective limitations and inherent potentials. The review underscores the paramount importance of sustained policy support, innovative material design, and broad public engagement to surmount current barriers and significantly enhance resource recovery from discarded plastic materials [8].
Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies offer a promising avenue for sustainable waste management. A comprehensive analysis evaluates the current operational status and future prospects of technologies such as incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion. The assessment considers their efficiency, potential environmental impacts, and overall economic feasibility. WtE plays a crucial role in reducing landfill waste volumes and generating renewable energy, though wider adoption hinges on addressing key challenges and implementing supportive policy requirements [9].
Finally, microplastic pollution represents a pervasive environmental concern, with diverse sources and significant environmental and health risks. This review meticulously details how microplastics infiltrate various ecosystems and subsequently enter the food chain, posing substantial threats. It explores both preventative measures and innovative removal technologies, alongside crucial policy interventions. The urgency for global collaborative efforts to mitigate microplastic contamination and safeguard both the environment and public health is strongly emphasized [10].
The contemporary discourse on sustainable development increasingly centers on the circular economy as a fundamental framework for managing solid waste. This paradigm advocates for a systemic shift from linear 'take-make-dispose' models to restorative cycles where waste is minimized, resources are recovered, and environmental impact is dramatically reduced [1]. This approach is not merely theoretical; it encompasses practical strategies like waste reduction at source, extensive reuse, advanced recycling techniques, and energy recovery. Achieving these objectives demands a concerted effort, integrating robust policy frameworks, continuous technological innovation, and significant public engagement [1]. The transition to a circular system for materials, including plastics, involves overcoming various challenges but offers considerable opportunities through advanced recycling and upcycling methods, underscoring the need for supportive policies and public participation [8].Exploring specific waste streams, studies reveal nuanced challenges and opportunities. For instance, e-waste management in India faces hurdles such as prevalent informal recycling, low public awareness, and underdeveloped infrastructure. However, these issues simultaneously present avenues for formalizing the sector, enhancing resource recovery, and generating employment within a circular economy model, necessitating targeted policy interventions [2]. Similarly, effective food waste management is crucial for achieving global Sustainable Development Goals. Strategies focusing on reducing, reusing, and recycling food waste directly address environmental degradation, food insecurity, and resource depletion. This requires integrated approaches, innovative treatment technologies, and active collaboration among stakeholders across the entire supply chain [3].Diverse industrial and societal activities generate distinct waste challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly highlighted critical issues in healthcare waste management, characterized by a dramatic increase in medical waste, overwhelming existing infrastructure, and elevated infection risks. Mitigating these threats requires strategic interventions such as improved waste segregation, advanced treatment processes, and responsive policy frameworks [4]. In the construction sector, substantial environmental impacts from construction and demolition waste (CDW) necessitate its integration into circular economy principles. Waste prevention, comprehensive reuse, and effective recycling are key strategies to lessen landfill dependence, driven by policy support, technological advancements, and stakeholder collaboration [5]. Furthermore, the fashion industry grapples with an escalating problem of textile waste. Management strategies explore recycling, upcycling, and designing products for longevity, though implementation is constrained by technological limitations and consumer behavior, pointing to innovation and policy as future directions for a circular textile economy [6].Agricultural waste, often overlooked, holds substantial potential, especially in developing countries, for bioenergy production within a circular economy framework. Reviews highlight various technologies capable of converting agricultural residues into valuable resources such as biogas, biochar, and biofuels. This transformation offers considerable environmental benefits and economic opportunities, though successful implementation relies on addressing existing challenges through integrated policies and robust infrastructure development [7].Beyond material recycling, energy recovery through waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies is a vital component of sustainable waste management. These technologies, encompassing incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion, convert waste into renewable energy, significantly reducing landfill volumes. Their operational status, efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic feasibility are continuously assessed, with policy support being paramount for broader adoption [9]. Simultaneously, emerging threats like microplastic pollution demand urgent attention. The pervasive nature of microplastics, their diverse sources, infiltration into ecosystems and the food chain, and associated health risks necessitate comprehensive management strategies. Efforts focus on preventative measures, innovative removal technologies, and global collaborative policy interventions to mitigate contamination and protect public health [10].
Recent research highlights the critical need for sustainable waste management within a circular economy framework to mitigate environmental impact and recover resources across various sectors. Papers examine strategies for solid waste, emphasizing waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and energy recovery, noting the crucial roles of policy, technology, and public participation for successful implementation. Specific studies address the challenges and opportunities in managing e-waste in India, including informal practices and infrastructure gaps, alongside the vital role of food waste management in achieving Sustainable Development Goals by reducing degradation and resource depletion.The ongoing global health crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore significant challenges in healthcare waste management, calling for improved segregation and advanced treatment. The construction sector also faces scrutiny, with reviews promoting waste prevention, reuse, and recycling of construction and demolition waste to reduce landfill dependence. Fashion industryâ??s escalating textile waste problem drives interest in solutions like upcycling and design for longevity. Additionally, agricultural waste presents opportunities for bioenergy production in developing countries through technologies that convert residues into valuable resources. Addressing plastic waste is paramount, with analyses focusing on recycling and upcycling technologies to foster a circular economy. The broader spectrum of waste management also includes waste-to-energy technologies, which convert waste into renewable energy, and the urgent need to manage microplastic pollution due to its pervasive environmental and health risks, requiring global collaboration and innovative removal strategies.
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