ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some of the key concepts, strategies, and programs that have helped to put a circular economy into practice. Waste minimization was one of the early concepts that initially drew attention at the facility and corporate levels. In the late 1980s, the concept of waste minimization emerged in the United States in response to the rising costs of waste treatment and disposal. Regulatory standards on wastes and emissions were getting stricter, requiring more investments on the “end of pipe” treatment. The concept of waste minimization club (WMC) was first developed in the Netherlands in the early 1990s to encourage industries to reduce pollution. National Productivity Council (NPC), India, saw the need for a new mechanism that could overcome various barriers faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in waste minimization efforts and developed the Waste Minimization Circle concept in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
