Circular Economy : Meeting Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainability from an economic and environmental perspective is linked to the way we extract and consume the earth’s finite resources and is implicit in the definition of a circular economy (CE) as a model of production and consumption designed to retain value within the economic system. This can include conserving natural resources, making sustainable products by incorporating recyclability in product design, changing consumption behaviour, and adopting more sustainable business models. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of objectives for improving health and education, reducing inequality, and protecting our shared environment globally. The CE is a key enabler to achieving these objectives.

The Circular Economy explores how the concepts of CE can help address and meet targets linked to the SDGs. Taking a broad view across different industries and areas, and looking at specific SDGs, this book discusses current activities, standards, policy and legislation, challenges to achieving the SDGs and opportunities for enhancing circularity and sustainability.

Professor Sadhan Kumar Ghosh is the Director General, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Research Centre at International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water (ISWMAW) and former Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Jadavpur University. He is Founder and President of the International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water and the Chair of IconSWM-CE and IPLA Global Forum 2023. He is Project Leader for the Global Status of Implementation of Circular Economy (2018-2023). He is the Editor-in-Chief, of the Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management and is Associate Editor, The Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management. He is the international expert of UNCRD, Japan, APO, Japan, SACEP Sri Lanka and CPC, Taiwan. He has research collaborations with more than 35 countries.

Dr Gev Eduljee is a non-executive director at resource management consultancy Resource Futures. Previously he was Director of External Affairs at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, and latterly as Interim Director of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) programme at UKRI. He worked in hazardous waste treatment before spending 15 years in environmental consulting. He has published widely on waste management and the circular economy, risk assessment and public health issues. He was a member of Defra’s Advisory Committee on Packaging and the Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances, and of CEN’s Strategic Advisory Body on Environment (SABE).