What Is Circular Economy in Waste Management? Learn Here

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Have you ever heard about the circular economy in waste management? This concept is closely related to municipal solid waste (MSW), also known as urban waste, produced by households and businesses in cities.

Then, what is the circular economy in waste management? This article explores how these principles contribute to environmental preservation. So, read the article until the end!

What Is the Circular Economy in Waste Management?

The circular economy in waste management is a sustainable system that reduces waste generation by implementing circular economy principles. The circular economy is a model that creates a closed cycle to maximize resources and reduce waste.

The circular economy-based waste management helps us to increase the product value so that it can be used in the long term. As a result, waste can still have economic value and benefits.

This model of waste management is a breakthrough in reducing the amount of waste, especially municipal solid waste (MSW). According to data in Nature Communications, 64% of the world’s municipal waste is managed ineffectively, 29% of which is burned openly, 18% is abandoned in landfills, and 17% is scattered.

This phenomenon can emerge because of inappropriate waste management on a large scale, resulting in pollution and other bad impacts on the environment. That’s why the circular economy-based waste management exists to reduce waste generation, remove littering habits, stop open-burning waste, and support material recycling to create long-term value.

A Glimpse of the Circular Economy

The circular economy is a transformative concept aiming to maintain products and ensure that they have a long usage cycle, increasing productivity. The circular economy is based on three main principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The reduce principle decreases resource consumption and waste production. Then, the reuse principle emphasizes how to make a product have a longer life cycle. Some reuse efforts that are often applied are finding new uses for a product, such as used paint cans that are used as flower pots.

Moreover, repurposing also becomes a creative solution to expand the life cycle of products. As a result, you do not produce much waste and can lower the need for raw materials to create new products.

Furthermore, recycling involves turning waste into new products or raw materials for other products. This principle is important to decrease dependence on new resources. For example, people can utilize broken glass to be remanufactured into new glass products.

The circular economy principle is crucial to implement, either by individuals, communities, or companies. Chandra Asri Group, as a leading chemical, energy, and infrastructure company in Southeast Asia, has implemented and supported this principle.

We educate the public on the importance of sorting waste before disposal because this activity can facilitate waste processing. As a result, waste can be utilized in new products or raw materials for products with economic value.

This is important because if waste is not sorted from the start, processing will be difficult and products will be abandoned as waste that can pollute the environment.

How the Circular Economy Plays a Role in Waste Management

As mentioned before, the circular economy creates a closed cycle in creating value for products even when they turn into waste. This principle can be a sustainable alternative to align nature preservation and sustainable social life. Then, how does the circular economy play a role in waste management? Here are the benefits you should know:

1. Reducing Waste Generation

A circular economy can reduce waste production thanks to the principles of reuse, reduce, and recycle. This principle decreases the amount of waste disposed of in landfills and greenhouse gas emissions due to mismanaged waste. A circular economy designs products to be easily repairable and more durable.

Circular economy principles also ensure that products can be used for as long as possible to reduce the need for raw materials. This way, we can conserve the planet’s resources.

2. Creating New Job Openings

The role of the circular economy in waste management is creating new job openings, especially in the repairing, refurbishing, and recycling sectors. The society will be empowered to be able to recycle and repair damaged products to extend their life cycle. This skill can surely be leveraged to grow their economy.

3. Innovating on Waste Management

The presence of a circular economy-based waste management concept can also support waste management innovations in various sectors. People can create new technologies in processing waste, reducing waste that ends up in landfills and causes environmental pollution.

Examples of Waste Management into Valuable Products

There are many ways to leverage and process waste to maintain its value; one of them is recycling it, as Chandra Asri Group did. This prominent chemical, energy, and infrastructure company in Southeast Asia innovates plastic waste management by turning it into an asphalt mixture named CIRCLOⓇ.

The development of this franchise is not only a solution to plastic waste processing but also the empowerment of local recyclers and vendors to produce standardized plastic asphalt mixture raw materials.

In addition, Chandra Asri Group also initiates plastic asphalt on over 120 km of roads across Indonesia. This asphalt is a circular economy initiative for processing plastic waste in Indonesia.

Not only does it contribute to sustainable construction in Indonesia, but it also increases its durability by 40%. This can certainly be a breakthrough in the road construction sector in Indonesia, improving the condition of our country’s roads and making it more resilient while preserving our nature.

Aside from plastic waste, Chandra Asri Group also develops used cooking oil management that turns it into biofuel with TUKR through MINYAKU (Manajemen Pengumpulan Minyak Jelantah untuk Lingkungan).

This circular economy initiative aims to invite people to collect used cooking oil around the factory operational area in Cilegon. Hopefully, this innovation can educate them on the importance of managing used cooking oil and not just throwing it away.

That concludes the information about the circular economy in waste management you can learn. Nowadays, we must pay attention to our waste production to prevent it from piling up and polluting the environment. Therefore, you can start using the product optimally.

Moreover, you can join Indonesia Asri, a campaign supporting you to participate in various programs, create a sustainable lifestyles, and build a greener environment. One challenge you can take part in is #SiPalingSuistanable

So, what are you waiting for? Register yourself now and be part of Warga Asri, who is ready to contribute to a greener environment!