Loading…
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 at Gandhinagar, running 15-18 September under the theme 'Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity'.
The Gujarat Chief Minister said this is the first time the Forum has been hosted in South Asia; the Union Minister's own account described it as the 10th edition of the Forum.
India's Extended Producer Responsibility coverage was disclosed: as of August 2026, more than 83,000 producers and 4,802 recyclers were registered under various EPR frameworks, with nearly 482.24 lakh metric tonnes of waste processed across regulated streams.
Over 3,600 stakeholders from 62 countries are attending, with an exhibition of 135 national and international exhibitors.
The Forum is jointly organised by the Central Pollution Control Board, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, the Government of Finland, MoEF&CC, the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board.
Place the obligation for collecting and recycling a product's waste on the producer, importer or brand owner rather than on the municipality
Key: Operated through CPCB's online portals, where obligated entities register, meet targets and trade EPR certificates issued to waste processors; covers plastic, e-waste, battery and tyre waste and used oil
Shift climate action from state-led policy to individual behaviour — nudging demand, enabling supply, and shaping policy
Key: Launched on 20 October 2022 by the Prime Minister with the UN Secretary-General at the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Gujarat; the idea was first advanced by India at COP26 in Glasgow
An industry-led coalition on resource efficiency and circularity, conceptualised under India's G20 Presidency
Key: Launched in July 2023 at the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministers' Meeting in Chennai with about 39 founding companies from 11 countries; built on three principles — partnerships for impact, technology cooperation and finance for scale
Carry circularity into plurilateral climate work
Key: As stated in the release, India's BRICS Chairship has placed the circular economy alongside sustainable lifestyles, ecosystem restoration and adaptation as interconnected priorities
The first of India's waste streams to carry a full EPR regime — producers, importers and brand owners must meet collection and recycling targets and phase out identified single-use plastics.
Notified by MoEF&CC on 22 August 2022, replacing the earlier battery rules and introducing EPR for battery waste, with EPR certificates and environmental compensation.
Notified on 2 November 2022 and in force from 1 April 2023, replacing the 2016 rules with a new EPR regime for e-waste recycling built on registration with CPCB and certificate trading.
The statute under which the Central Pollution Control Board — a co-organiser of this Forum and the body that runs the EPR portals — was constituted in 1974.
Created the World Circular Economy Forum and has hosted or co-hosted it since the first edition in Helsinki in June 2017, which drew about 1,600 participants from nearly 100 countries. Sitra was established in 1967 as a gift to Finland on the 50th anniversary of its independence and operates directly under the supervision of the Finnish Parliament.
India's apex statutory pollution-control body and the co-organiser of WCEF 2026; it grants EPR authorisation, runs the registration and certificate-trading portals for plastic, e-waste, battery and tyre waste, and carries functions under both the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981.
Sitra established as a gift to Finland on the 50th anniversary of its independence
First World Circular Economy Forum held in Helsinki
India builds EPR into waste rules — plastic (2016, EPR guidelines 2022), battery (August 2022) and e-waste (November 2022, effective April 2023)
Mission LiFE launched at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat
RECEIC launched at the G20 environment ministers' meeting in Chennai under India's G20 Presidency
WCEF 2026 held at Gandhinagar — the Forum's first hosting in South Asia
A linear economy runs take-make-dispose; a circular one keeps materials in use through repair, reuse, remanufacture and recycling. The Minister's framing — 'repair before replace, reuse before discard, recover before waste' — is the hierarchy in plain words.
India's EPR is enforced through tradable certificates issued to processors and bought by obligated producers — a market instrument, comparable in design to carbon credits, and the reason registration numbers such as 83,000 producers are meaningful indicators.
Finland's Ambassador cited the elevation of the India-Finland relationship to a strategic partnership focused on digitalisation and sustainability, while over 20 Dutch companies attended — circularity is now a bilateral economic agenda, not only an environmental one.
GS Paper 3 > Environment > Conservation, Pollution and Waste Management
General Awareness > Environment and Current Affairs > International Forums
General Awareness > Current Affairs > Summits and Conferences
In India, 'extended producer responsibility' was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?
Answer: The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
Consider the following statements: Statement I: Circular economy reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases. Statement II: Circular economy reduces the use of raw materials as inputs. Statement III: Circular economy reduces wastage in the production process. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer: Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
In the context of which one of the following are the terms 'pyrolysis and plasma gasification' mentioned?
Answer: Waste-to-energy technologies
An economic model that keeps products and materials in use through repair, reuse, remanufacture and recycling, as against the linear take-make-dispose model.
The obligation on a producer, importer or brand owner to collect and recycle the waste its product becomes, enforced in India through CPCB registration and tradable EPR certificates.
A tradable instrument generated by a registered waste processor and purchased by an obligated entity to meet its recycling target.
India's behaviour-focused climate initiative, launched 20 October 2022 at Kevadia, working through demand, supply and policy.