This Policy Note underscores the urgency of adopting a Philippine-appropriate circular economy (CE) framework as the country faces rising waste generation and persistent gaps in waste management systems. The authors observe that while international CE models and definitions provide useful conceptual anchors, they often fall short of capturing the socioeconomic, cultural, and institutional contexts of developing countries like the Philippines. They highlight the need to localize CE by framing it within the production-consumption-waste management continuum of Philippine commodity systems and value chains. They recommend adopting a localized CE definition as the foundation for a coherent national CE policy, supported by sectoral and industry-level action plans and strengthened enforcement of existing laws. To sustain the transition, the authors also call for long-term public and private investments in technologies, infrastructure, and capacity-building initiatives that enable CE.
