Emerging Trends in Circularity in India and the Impact of COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging effects on economies around the globe and has also affected the nascent circular economy ecosystems that have been developing over the last few years. The uptake of circular economy models has been affected both negatively and positively by the pandemic. This chapter examines emerging trends and the impact of COVID-19 on two CE business models in India – subscription models for personal mobility and plastic waste recycling. While the plastics recycling value chain was devastated by the pandemic, there were also some bright spots that emerged in this space. The chapter also discusses the uptake in subscription models and some of the key considerations in scaling up such models. Finally, the chapter highlights an example of decentralisation, which has emerged as an important strategy for consideration in rebuilding our economies in the post-COVID world.