ADB Data Room: Circular Economy
20 April 2022
The Circular Economy is an emerging theme internationally. A Circular Economy is a systemic approach to decouple economic development and activity from consuming finite resources. A Circular Economy will allow ADB to tackle global environmental challenges, including climate change, resource management, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, while supporting economic development and reducing poverty.
Circular Economy related policy and legislation are actively being developed and implemented across our Developing Member Countries (DMCs) and have become a central theme for many of ADB’s funding sources. Circular Economy will be a central facet of implementing the Global Plastics Treaty recently agreed upon at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) 5.2 in Nairobi. The finance framework included in the draft agreement offers huge potential for investment and project development in DMCs. ADB is developing a Circular Economy Toolkit to help identify, create, integrate, and deliver investment opportunities.
This data room contains the schedule of upcoming webinars, information, and key documents on the Circular Economy, its concepts, and implementation. For periodic updates, sign up here.
For more information or specialized advice, please contact James Baker.
Program and Learning Materials:
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2022 | 19 March 2025 |
Progress on the Global Plastics Treaty: Outcomes and Insights from the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Process (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 37) With millions of tons of plastic produced annually and plastic waste driving environmental and climate concerns, the Global Plastics Treaty will be key... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 12 March 2025 |
Accelerating Circularity and Just Transition through Digital Solutions (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 36) In the journey toward a sustainable, inclusive, and waste-free future, digital transformation plays a pivotal role in reshaping material flows and empowering... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 February 2025 |
Financing Plastic Circularity: Recommendations to Overcome Market and Policy Challenges (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 35) With the massive scale of the plastic pollution crisis, countries need an estimated $50 billion–$120 billion annually to achieve their waste reduction... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 5 February 2025 |
Circularity In Action: Accelerating a Concrete Solution to Plastic Waste at CRDC Global (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 34) Circular business models struggle to scale when economic actors lack incentives to collaborate. In this webinar, Donald Thomson, CEO of the Center for... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 22 January 2025 |
Opportunities to Strengthen Regional Cooperation for Marine Litter Management in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 33) Marine litter was a major concern for Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Governments in these countries had developed and enacted policies... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 20 November 2024 |
Circular Economy of Manila Bay’s Plastic Waste (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 32) The Holcim Circular Explorer project in Manila Bay was a groundbreaking initiative that combined technology, sustainability, and community action to tackle... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 13 November 2024 |
Biodegradable and Compostable Solutions for Agriculture (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 31) Novamont was an Italian industrial company established in 1990. It was a Benefit Company, B Corp certified and among the leaders in producing biodegradable... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 30 October 2024 |
An Overview of E-Waste in the Basel Convention (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 30) This webinar covered various aspects of electronic and electrical wastes, or e-wastes, in the context of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 16 October 2024 |
Scaling Reuse and Refill Solutions in Indonesia and Southeast Asia (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 29) With Southeast Asia urgently needing to tackle plastic waste, Alner’s reuse and refill solutions offered a scalable, sustainable alternative to single... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 18 September 2024 |
Accelerating a Circular Economy of EV Batteries in South Korea (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 28) This session discussed South Korea’s Policy Directions for the Circular Economy, with EV batteries as a key priority and focus, establishing a sustainable... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 11 June 2024 |
Circular Economy: Integrated Waste Management Approach (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 27) This session covered two broad themes:Abellon’s integrated waste management approach combining material recovery as well as energy recovery; and the second... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 20 March 2024 |
Circular Economy in the Construction Industry (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 26) In the seminar, the potential of circular economy (CE) in the construction industry, known for its significant environmental footprint, was discussed. ... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 06 March 2024 |
Opportunities in the Global Plastics Treaty for Asia and the Pacific Addressing Plastic Pollution for Climate Benefits (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 25) During the webinar session, the discussion revolved around the potential impact of a continued business-as-usual scenario, which could have seen plastics... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 07 February 2024 |
The Challenges of Applying Circular Economy Principles to Food Waste and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Hong Kong, China (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 24) The session covered the challenges and opportunities of circular economy in the Asian context and discussed Hong Kong, China’s practical experiences in... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 24 January 2024 |
Circular Economy Government and Stakeholder Engagement - Some Practical Wins and Losses (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 23) This session highlighted delving into the crucial element of stakeholder engagement in the successful execution of circular economy projects. Beyond mere... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 17 January 2024 |
Bioplastics in Thailand: Perceptions versus Reality and Future Directions for Southeast Asia (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 22) This session walked through the bioplastics value chain using the case study in Thailand based on a cost-benefit analysis research study that ADB conducted... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 7 December 2023 |
Plastic Asset Circularity (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 21) This Circular Economy Webinar Series session spotlighted how Recity is enabling a circular economy of plastics with a combination of physical assets like... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 23 November 2023 |
Quantifying Plastic Pollution to Inform Evidence-based and Effective Interventions (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 20) Plastic pollution is an archetypical global challenge, the complexity of which means that we still do not have a sufficient understanding of fundamental... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 28 September 2023 |
Closing the Loop on Food Waste with Insect Bioconversion (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 19) The ADB Circular Economy (CE) Webinar Seriessession explored how insect bioconversionoffers a nature-based solutionto the pressing challenges of managing... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 14 September 2023 |
Scaling the Circular Economy with Circular Platforms (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 18) The circular economy offers a framework for reducing waste and increasing sustainability by keeping materials in use through repair, reuse, and recycling... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 24 August 2023 |
Low Temperature Gasification of Waste: Ultimate Solution for Energy/Waste/Climate (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 17) This session discussedabout an innovation for Waste to Energy: How Wastecan be turned into an Energy Resource without air pollution andlandfill needs ... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 22 June 2023 |
Smart Cities and Circular Economy: How Citizens Recycle and Reuse to Save the Planet (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 16) The amount of plastic waste in South Korea has been increasing rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic, and the problem is becoming serious. To solve ... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 11 May 2023 |
The Power of Partnerships in Fostering a Circular Economy (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 15) ADDENDUM: Please note that the numbers or figures shown in the presentation delivered in this webinar may no longer be updated. These figures were accurate... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 20 April 2023 |
Circular Solutions to Address Plastic Pollution in the Maritime Industry (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 14) In the Philippines, at least 2.5 million metric tons of plastic were being consumed pre-pandemic, out of which only 9% was being recycled and 35% was ... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 30 March 2023 |
Research Assessment on the Attitudes and Motivations of Women in Waste: A Gender-responsive Approach on Addressing Plastic Pollution (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 13) The ADB CEWG recognizes the need to highlight the human side of our commitment to a circular economy. In partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 16 March 2023 |
NUTEC Plastic - NUclear TEchnology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 12) There are about 12 million tons of plastic that enter the oceans every year. The oceans are expected to contain one ton of plastic for every three tons... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 2 February 2023 |
ECOBRICKS: A Circular Economy Solution to Transform Plastic Waste into Sustainable Concrete (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 11) The built environment and the construction industry are major contributors to the planet's greatest environmental challenges - plastic waste and carbon... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 8 December 2022 |
Mil Mill Paper Cycle – a Circular Business Model for Low Value Waste Mixed Papers (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 10) The session is about Mill, Hong Kong, China’s first beverage carton recycling pulp mill and education center. The center can process up to about 50 tons... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 24 November 2022 |
Koinpack’s Reuse Revolution to Radically Prevent Plastic Pollution in Indonesia (ADB Circular Economy Webinar Series, Session 09) Launched in 2020, Koinpack built a deposit-based reuse system for plastic packaging, allowing consumers to purchase their favorite brands in reusable ... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 17 November 2022 |
Omni Processor Project: Revolutionizing Municipal Solid Waste and Liquid Sludge Management in Bangladesh (ADB Circular Economy Webinar Series, Session 08) Session Synopsis: In observance of World Toilet Day and the call for urgent action to make sanitation a global development priority, the Asian Development... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 10 November 2022 |
ADB’s Roadmap for Circular Economy Zero Waste Cities in the People’s Republic of China (Circular Economy Webinar Series Session 07) In 2009, the Circular Economy Promotion Law came into effect in the People's Republic of China (PRC), and circular economy is now included as an important... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 20 October 2022 |
Measuring and Mitigating Methane Emissions from Agriculture, Municipal Solid Waste, and Wastewater (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 06) Nick Elger with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided an overview of tools and resources offered by the EPA to support methane mitigation... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 22 September 2022 |
Eliminating the Idea of Waste with the TerraCycle Global Foundation (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 05) Thousands of tons of plastic waste are polluting Thailand’s canals, rivers, and seas every year.The TerraCycle Global Foundation collects and recycles... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 25 August 2022 |
A pre-launch for the Circular Plastics Economy eLearning Course (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 04) How can policymakers and corporate strategists design and implement effective policies to reduce and eventually eliminate plastic pollution? This was... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 11 August 2022 |
THE GREEN ROAD: Integrated Waste Management and Circular Economy in Bhutan (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 03) While Bhutan is developing its network of roadways, its climate, and mountainous terrain contribute to road degradation, making it difficult for transport... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 July 2022 |
Case Studies on Circular Economy Biz Model: Mechanisms, Opportunities and Challenges (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 02) Despite the current circular economy global movement, the amount of waste generated globally is still on the rise, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 7 June 2022 |
Biochar as a Circular Solution for Sustainable Agriculture and Poverty Reduction (ADB CE Webinar Series, Session 01) Asia is home to an estimated 350 million smallholder farmers, who produce around 80% of the food consumed in the region. The impacts of climate change... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 15 February 2022 |
Online Presentation and Discussion on Orange Clockwork Waste The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), a leader in the circular... |
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| 20 Apr 2022 | 28 January 2022 |
Plastic-free Oceans by Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan Session Synopsis: The global community now faces three global crises: climate change, nature loss, and environmental pollution. In order to address these... |
Robin Takashi Lewis, Shuji Sonoda, Yasuhiko Hotta |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 28 January 2022 |
Circular Economy Plastics Clinic: A Project Playshop |
Jenna Jambeck, Lerwen Liu, Dave Albao, Anna Oposa |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 27 January 2022 |
Deep Dive 1.4 (Plastic-free Oceans Track) - Advancing Circularity: Supporting Investible Startups with a Connected Network |
Matteo Chiampo, Sandhya Dovedy, Sarahvan van Boekhout, Laura Benns |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 27 January 2022 |
Deep Dive 1.5. Better Together: Innovating Socially Inclusive Waste Management Systems |
James Baker, Siddharth Hande, Barak Ekshtein, Bharati Chaturvedi, Luca Di Mario |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 January 2022 |
Scene Setter for Plastic-free Oceans Plastic waste and pollution are urgent issues for Asia and the Pacific and the health of its ecosystems and communities. Over 80% of all marine plastic... |
Jenna Jambeck |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 January 2022 |
Deep Dive 1.1 (Plastic-free Oceans Track) - Circling Back: A Back-to-Basics Course on Circular Plastics Economy |
Anna Oposa, Dave Albao, Lerwen Liu |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 January 2022 |
Deep Dive 1.2 (Plastic-free Oceans Track) - From Source to Sea: Promoting Circular Economy Solutions to Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution |
Bintang Ekananda, Pratibha Priya, Nieva Natural, Shuji Hashizume, Mahesh Pradhan |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 26 January 2022 |
Deep Dive 1.3 (Plastic-free Oceans Track) - Message in a Bottle-to Bottle: Scaling Up Investments in High-Quality Recycling |
Mani Kishore Vajipeyajula, Kanchana Wanichkorn, Ingo Walterscheid, Keli Yu, Sanjib Bezbaroa, Martyn Tickner, Jonas Byström |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 2022 | Project Documents | Regional: Promoting Action on Plastic Pollution from Source to Sea in Asia and the Pacific | |
| 24 Apr 2022 | Plans | Environment Action Plan 2024–2030: Toward a Nature-Positive Asia and the Pacific | |
| 24 Apr 2022 | Plans | Healthy Oceans Implementation Plan 2022-2024 | |
| 24 Apr 2022 | Frameworks | o Bank Ocean Finance Framework | |
| 24 Apr 2022 | Frameworks | ADB Blue Bonds |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr 2022 | 18 November 2020 | The Business Times Singapore Op-ed: Catching the wave of blue finance | |
| 25 Apr 2022 | 13 January 2021 | The Business Times Singapore Op-ed: Race to Restore Asia-Pacific’s Ocean Economy | Ingrid van Wees and John Tanzer |
| 25 Apr 2022 | 6 April 2021 | The Business Times Singapore Op-ed: Navigating a rising tide of blue ocean business | Ingrid Van Wees and Melissa Walsh |
| 25 Apr 2022 | 21 June 2021 | The Business Times Singapore Op-ed: Taking the Risk Out of Blue Investments | Ingrid van Wees |
| 25 Apr 2022 | 28 September 2021 | The Business Times Singapore Op-ed: Putting (monetary) values on beaches and coral reefs |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Apr 2022 | 24 February 2022 | Prospects for Transitioning from a Linear to Circular Economy in Developing Asia | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 19 May 2022 | Circular Economy: Increasing Resource Efficiency and Designing Out Waste | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 25 July 2022 | Embracing Environmental Sustainability and the Circular Economy | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 31 January 2023 | Circular Economy Policy Maker E-Training | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 5 June 2023 | World Environment Day: Beat Plastic Pollution | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 21 November 2023 | Stopping Plastic Waste Leakage into Oceans | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 19 July 2024 | How much plastic do you use in everyday life? | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 27 December 2024 | Turning the Tide: ADB Boosts Plastic Recycling in Indonesia | |
| 26 Apr 2022 | 7 January 2025 | No Time to Waste |
| Date | Session / Activity | Presentation Material | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr 2022 | May 2022 | Circular Economy: Increasing Resource Efficiency and Designing Out Waste | |
| 27 Apr 2022 | May 2022 | Circular Economy Policy Maker E-Training |