Top 8 Growth Opportunities in Waste Recycling and Circular Economies, 2024

The global approach to sustainability and circular economies hinges on increased efficiency, fit-for-purpose solutions, and greater transparency with data sharing to enable meaningful actions. Digitalization will figure largely in this transition, enabling data integration for measuring, managing, verifying, and communicating actions as well as for life-cycle analysis of products and processes. Smart technologies will support significant cost-efficiency and improved productivity to boost both sustainability and business development. New business models that involve the entire value chain will create growth opportunities for organizations to integrate advanced solutions and technologies that will enable greater resource efficiency and reduce both carbon emissions and environmental impact. This analysis provides insights and strategies across different materials and resources, with a focus on how technology moves the circular economy approach forward and enables the shift from the start-up phase to full implementation and impact. As digitalization becomes inseparable from the transition to the circular economy and net zero, qualitative and quantitative data are the new currencies for growth and innovation, connecting business profits to sustainability. Digital solutions allow stakeholders to view the bigger picture of the circular economy from the perspectives of individual business and the entire waste management industry. This provides a better understanding, transparency, and mapping of the sustainability potential. Author: Paulina Blaszczyk