Developing Indonesia’s Circular Economy

This book describes and assesses initiatives for adopting and developing a circular economy as a means of reaching the SDG targets in Indonesia. Indonesia is a developing country rich in natural resources, but it faces socioecological challenges including those brought about by resource extraction for accelerated economic growth. As a linear economy supports a resource-to-waste transformation with limited economic value, especially considering the cost of environmental damage, shifting toward a circular economy holds important benefits. The transition from a linear to a circular economy, however, is challenging because it requires investment and technical, behavioral, institutional, and government policy changes. Additionally, reliable indicators are required for tracking progress toward and processes within a circular economy, including its technical, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects. This book evaluates the status of Indonesia’s circular-economy initiatives as well as opportunities for expansion across sectors and regions. With contributions evaluating programs in agriculture, industry, and services, chapters discuss how to accelerate the adoption of a circular economy, including from financing perspectives. Indonesia’s experiences can help illuminate challenges and opportunities for other developing countries that are pursuing economic growth while balancing longer-term sustainability and resource conservation goals and navigating the complex interplay between formal and informal actors and activities. This book holds lessons for all countries contributing to a global, inclusive, and equitable circular economy but may be especially valuable to scholars of and professionals in developing economies.