Gandhinagar, September 15 (Daily Kiran) : Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to the circular economy during his address at the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar on September 15. He asserted that India must start its circular economy journey not just through recycling but by rethinking product design, purchasing, and usage.
Yadav called for a culture of repairing goods before they become waste and encouraged reusing items whenever possible. He emphasized that the principles of circularity are deeply ingrained in India’s traditional lifestyle. “Repair before you change, reuse before you discard, and recover before it becomes waste,” he stated.
He described circularity as an age-old Indian tradition that is now being integrated into a modern policy framework. “For India, the circular economy is not a new destination, but a fresh perspective on an old understanding,” Yadav noted.
The minister stressed that circular economy policies should extend beyond waste disposal and recycling. They must encompass the entire life cycle of resources, from product design and manufacturing to usage, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and recovery.
Yadav mentioned that India has strengthened this perspective through regulatory reforms and a digital compliance system, which includes an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for sectors like plastics, e-waste, and batteries. By August 2026, over 83,000 producers and 4,802 recyclers were registered under various EPR frameworks, processing approximately 48.224 million metric tons of regulated waste.
However, he warned that regulations alone will not create a circular economy. “Circularity cannot be built solely in recycling plants. It must start in the market, continue in homes, and ultimately become a daily habit,” he asserted.
Linking this vision to the central government‘s ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) initiative, Yadav emphasized the need for responsible usage of resources to reduce pressure on natural resources. He aims to shift public perception of waste, encouraging people to view it not as the end of a product’s life but as the beginning of a new resource cycle.
Yadav concluded that the success of circularity should not be measured solely by the amount of waste recycled. “The true measure of a circular economy will not be how much waste we recycle, but how much value we prevent from being wasted,” he stated.
He also underscored the international aspect of this transition, noting that no country can complete this process in isolation. “India’s international efforts include the ‘Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition’ launched during its G-20 presidency, and circular economy priorities were also part of India’s BRICS chairmanship,” he said.
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