Leaving no one behind – Building inclusive circular economies in the Global South

Despite growing interest in circular economy (CE) strategies, Global North research and policy frameworks are often applied to the Global South without adaptation. This limits understanding of how to design inclusive CE transitions that reflect the socioeconomic realities of countries in the Global South. This study addresses this gap by assessing factors shaping waste management systems and formulating context-specific recommendations. The study follows a three-stage approach. First, it reviews Colombian waste legislation to identify long-term policy drivers and their implications for CE reforms. Second, it compares Brazil and Colombia to assess the integration of informal waste pickers into formal systems. Third, it evaluates structural barriers across the circular value chain by analyzing material flows, actor configurations, and technological gaps. Findings show that CE transitions are constrained by fragmented policies, underdeveloped infrastructure, and weak coordination between formal and informal sectors. Although inclusion models have progressed in Brazil and Colombia, challenges in scaling and institutional continuity persist. Furthermore, informal reuse and repair practices remain undervalued, despite their significant contributions to environmental and economic resilience. This study provides a context-sensitive diagnosis and proposes policy directions to support inclusive CE transitions aligned with local realities in the Global South.