Gandhinagar, Sep 15 — India's circular economy must begin with how products are designed, bought and used rather than only at the recycling stage, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday, calling for a shift towards repairing and reusing goods before they become waste.
Addressing the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar, Union Minister Yadav said the principles of circularity were deeply rooted in India's traditional way of life.
"Repair before replace, reuse before discard, and recover before waste," he added, describing circularity as an old Indian practice being given a modern policy framework.
"For India, the circular economy is not a new destination; it is a new way of looking at an old wisdom," Union Minister Yadav said.
The Union Minister noted that circular economy policy could not be reduced to waste disposal or recycling.
It covered the entire life cycle of resources, from product design and manufacturing to consumption, repair, reuse, remanufacturing and recovery.
He said that India had strengthened this approach through regulatory reforms and digital compliance systems, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms covering sectors such as plastic, e-waste and batteries.
"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 waste streams," union Minister Yadav added.
However, the Union Minister stressed that regulation alone could not create a circular economy.
"A circular economy cannot be built only at the recycling plant," he said, adding that circularity had to begin in the marketplace, continue in homes and eventually become a daily habit.
The Union Minister linked this approach to the Union government's Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative, saying responsible consumption was essential to reducing pressure on natural resources.
He also said the objective was to change the perception of waste.
"Waste should no longer be seen as the end of a product's journey, but as the beginning of another resource cycle," he added.
The Union Minister said the success of circularity should not be measured simply by the volume of waste recycled.
"The true measure of a circular economy will not be how much waste we recycle, but how little value we allow to be wasted," he added.
Bhupender Yadav also underlined the international nature of the transition, saying countries could not close the loop independently.
"India's international efforts include the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition, launched during its G20 Presidency, while circular economy has also featured among priorities during India's BRICS chairship," he noted.