Pathway for a circular economy: facilitating circularity using the ADKAR model for waste management

PurposeThe paper focusses on various ways of global circular economies’ resource optimisation. The paper examines corporations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in bringing circularity. This paper identifies research gaps in waste management in linear economies such as India. It concludes with a proposition for waste management advocating the ADKAR model framework of change.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews the academic repositories and reports to find answers to the circularity gaps. Databases such as Emerald, Web of Science and Springer were used to construct the theory. The author used keywords such as “circular economy”, “circular economy and SDG”, “circular economy and CSR”, and “circular economy and waste management” to locate the relevant literature to build the theory. Based on the theory, the waste management gap is identified and analysed.FindingsThe paper collates and examines the interdependency factors promoting circularity. An analysis of exemplary circular economies and corporations gives a pathway for linear economies. Finally, a framework is formulated for India’s transition from a linear to a circular economy using the best practices of different circular economies’ waste minimisation techniques. It summarises the findings of circular economies, formulating an ADKAR framework for waste management to aid circularity in India.Research limitations/implicationsThis research must be validated with the practical implications of an economy’s ecosystem. The economies’ binding policies and statutory regulations must be gauged through valid metrics for each circular economy, ultimately determining its efficacy in transitioning from linear to circular economy.Practical implicationsThe circularity in production and responsible consumption by all the stakeholders leads to sustainability. Embracing new sustainable practices, CSR initiatives will lead to circularity at the nano, micro, meso and macro levels for a populous economy such as India. The ADKAR model proposed can bring a positive change in India.Social implicationsThe United Nations’ sustainability goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production) focusses on resource optimisation. This paper proposes ways to involve stakeholders to minimise waste at the source through a multi-level approach.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to assess an economy’s sustainability by analysing its circularity gaps and highlighting the best practices of circular economies. It also outlines the framework for circularity through waste reduction and minimisation using the ADKAR model.