From Industrial Waste to Resource Recovery: A Review of Circular Economy Governance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67710/jlspa.v1i1.11Keywords:
industrial waste, resource recovery, circular economy, environmental governance, industrial sustainabilityAbstract
Industrial waste is increasingly viewed not only as an environmental burden but also as a potential source of materials that can be recovered and returned to productive use. This shift reflects the growing importance of circular economy principles in industrial and environmental governance. This article reviews how industrial waste can be transformed into recoverable resources through governance mechanisms that support waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and material recovery. A structured literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, and institutional publications related to industrial waste, resource recovery, circular economy, environmental governance, and industrial sustainability. The review shows that successful resource recovery depends on more than technological capability. Regulatory clarity, institutional coordination, economic incentives, corporate commitment, market demand for secondary materials, and collaboration among stakeholders strongly influence the transition from disposal-oriented waste management toward more circular practices. The literature also identifies several barriers, including fragmented regulations, limited recycling infrastructure, uncertain markets for recovered materials, weak enforcement, and differences in industrial capacity. These challenges indicate that circular economy governance requires an integrated approach in which environmental regulation, economic instruments, technological innovation, and corporate responsibility operate together. This review concludes that industrial waste governance should increasingly prioritize resource recovery and material circulation rather than relying mainly on disposal. Strengthening policy coherence, institutional capacity, and cooperation between government and industry is essential to support a more effective transition toward circular industrial systems.
Downloads
References
Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007
Hartley, K., van Santen, R., & Kirchherr, J. (2020). Policies for transitioning towards a circular economy: Expectations from the European Union (EU). Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 155, 104634. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104634
Hina, M., Chauhan, C., Kaur, P., Kraus, S., & Dhir, A. (2022). Drivers and barriers of circular economy business models: Where we are now, and where we are heading. Journal of Cleaner Production, 333, 130049. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130049
Kirchherr, J., Yang, N.-H. N., Schulze-Spüntrup, F., Heerink, M. J., & Hartley, K. (2023). Conceptualizing the circular economy (revisited): An analysis of 221 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 194, 107001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107001
Losa, R. (2025). Public policies on circular economy: A systematic review. Ecological Economics, 228, 108452. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108452
Neves, A., Godina, R., Azevedo, S. G., & Matias, J. C. O. (2020). A comprehensive review of industrial symbiosis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, 119113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119113
Salmenperä, H., Pitkänen, K., Kautto, P., & Saikku, L. (2021). Critical factors for enhancing the circular economy in waste management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 280, 124339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124339
Singh, J., & Ordoñez, I. (2016). Resource recovery from post-consumer waste: Important lessons for the upcoming circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 134, 342–353. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.12.020
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Torraco, R. J. (2016). Writing integrative literature reviews: Using the past and present to explore the future. Human Resource Development Review, 15(4), 404–428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484316671606
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Intan Septarina (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
