The Circular Economy and the Global South: Sustainable Lifestyles and Green Industrial Development

The circular economy is a policy approach and business strategy that aims to improve resource productivity, promote sustainable consumption and production and reduce environmental impacts. This book examines the relevance of the circular economy in the context of developing countries, something which to date is little understood.

This volume highlights examples of circular economy practices in developing country contexts in relation to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), informal sector recycling and national policy approaches. It examines a broad range of case studies, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, and Thailand, and illustrates how the circular economy can be used as a new lens and possible solution to cross-cutting development issues of pollution and waste, employment, health, urbanisation and green industrialisation. In addition to more technical and policy oriented contributions, the book also critically discusses existing narratives and pathways of the circular economy in the global North and South, and how these differ or possibly even conflict with each other. Finally, the book critically examines under what conditions the circular economy will be able to reduce global inequalities and promote human development in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Presenting a unique social sciences perspective on the circular economy discourse, this book is relevant to students and scholars studying sustainability in economics, business studies, environmental politics and development studies.

Patrick Schroder is a research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, UK and holds a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Manisha Anantharaman is an Assistant Professor in Justice, Community and Leadership at Saint Mary's College of California, USA and holds a PhD from University of California Berkeley, USA.

Kartika Anggraeni is a project manager at the Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) in Wuppertal, Germany. She is currently co-managing an EU SWITCH Africa Green project in Kenya.

Tim Foxon is Professor of Sustainability Transitions at the University of Sussex, UK and the author of Energy and Economic Growth: Why we need a new pathway to prosperity (Routledge, 2017).