Supportive policy and infrastructure
For circular economy solutions to take root, the right policies and infrastructure must be in place. Without them, even the best community-led efforts can only go so far.
Local waste management policies are essential – they guide both public and private investment and help everyone work towards a shared plan for the future.
Policies should also require waste segregation at the source, so more items can be reused or recycled rather than going to landfill.
At the same time, we need to get smarter about the types of waste being produced.
Items that are difficult or impossible to recycle often end up dumped, burned or buried – all of which carry huge environmental and health costs. Policies that limit the production or use of these materials, or that hold producers to account, can help shift responsibility upstream.
From a service point of view, structured collection from households is vital. If people don’t have reliable ways to dispose of their waste, many will find their own – often informal – solutions. Local governments need to support structured collections, with enforcement and fines to deter people from dumping their waste or burning it in the open.
We also need supporting infrastructure – roads and sea networks, reliable electricity, and decentralised waste transfer stations – to make it all work. Waste recovery is far more efficient (and affordable) when materials can move through the system without bottlenecks.
Most importantly, material recovery facilities should be prioritised over landfills. It’s time we treated waste as a resource, not just a problem to bury.
The cost question is a tough one.
Ideally, households pay for waste collection (with support from local government), while the costs of recovery and recycling are covered by producers and manufacturers.
But in reality, most households can’t afford much, governments often lack funds or prioritise other areas, and producers are rarely held accountable.
We haven’t cracked the code either – but we are exploring different models and are always learning.
For more information on creating an enabling environment through policy, see the Policymaking section of the Flipflopi Toolkit.
