Event Type: Webinar (Second Session of the Regional Community of Practice on Circular Economy)
Date & Time: March 6th, [Insert Year] at 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (BKK)
Organizing Agency: Regional Circular Economy Task Force (supported by members of the Regional Community of Practice on Circular Economy)
Location: Online
Content:
This webinar, the second session of the Regional Community of Practice on Circular Economy, focuses on Resource Management as a key strategic area for driving circular economy transitions. Recognizing the negative impacts of the linear “take-make-dispose” economy, the session emphasizes the urgent need for effective circular resource efficiency and management. It will explore shifting the focus from downstream waste management to the entire value chain, encompassing raw material extraction, design, production, transportation, (re-)use, remanufacturing, recycling, and disposal. The webinar will also consider upstream interventions in product design and extended producer responsibility.
The session will examine resource management approaches tested by UNDP India and the Philippines, identifying patterns around:
- Bottlenecks and opportunities for upstream interventions
- Data and other driving factors (e.g., sector- or resource-specific datasets)
- How effective resource management can improve broader development outcomes
Case studies include UNDP India’s work optimizing Material Recovery Facility (MRF) business models to improve the social and economic conditions of waste pickers in the informal sector, focusing on embedding inclusion practices into new MRF business models. The session will also explore the Innovation for Circular Economy (ICE) Hub of Pasig City, Philippines, a platform for collaboration and R&D focused on building circularity into MRFs, examining the factors that mobilized political will and investment and how these efforts unfold over time.
