South Asia’s rapid growth and large population are driving resource use, waste generation, and environmental stress. The traditional “take-make-dispose” model is unsustainable, making the Circular Economy (CE) increasingly vital. Countries in the region are advancing CE through national policies, EPR systems, and community-led initiatives.

A key feature is the informal sector, which plays a central role in resource recovery by collecting, sorting, and recycling large volumes of waste. However, these workers face vulnerable conditions, highlighting the need for a just transition that ensures social security, safe working conditions, and fair value. Global processes such as the UN Plastics Treaty and SDG 12 also stress the importance of integrating informal workers.

Achieving inclusive circular waste systems requires collaboration across government, business, academia, and communities, with co-designed strategies to empower workers and protect human rights. 

This special session provides a platform for stakeholders to share insights, benchmark progress, and discuss pathways toward socially inclusive circular economies.

This session aims to:

• Present a high-level overview of the Circular Economy landscape in the South Asian region, identifying common drivers and barriers.
• Showcase country-specific progress and successful case/sectoral studies from selected countries in South Asia.
• Examine the critical role of the informal waste sector and discuss strategies for its recognition, integration, and empowerment within a just transition to a circular economy.
• Highlight field-based evidence from Asian countries on the contributions, challenges, and potential of the informal waste sector in the circular economy.
• Identify common challenges and shared opportunities for cross-border collaboration in areas such as policy harmonization, regional platform, knowledge products
• Promote dialogue and networking among policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, and civil society to catalyze collective action towards a more circular South Asia.

The 15th IconSWM-CE & IPLA GF 2025: https://iconswm.geu.ac.in/