Circular Economy & Waste
Inadequate solid waste management threatens human health and the environment—and represents a missed economic opportunity to create jobs and recover the value of discarded materials. Abt Global works with clients to promote a circular economy—a systematic approach to reduce the health, environmental, social, and economic impacts of solid waste through the design of restorative and regenerative materials, products, systems, and business models. We align our clients' resource management strategies with key principles of sustainable consumption and production. We also integrate environmental justice, environmental and economic sustainability, and equity concerns into the design and implementation of circular economy projects.
Expertise
- Technical Assistance, Capacity Building, and Training Support for Solid Waste Management
- Mitigation of Methane and Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
- Baseline and Monitoring Studies on Marine and Urban Litter
- Environmental Justice Services
- Marketing and Communications
Clients Include
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Our Work
Capacity development for countries to capture methane from wastewater through EPA’s Global Methane Initiative
Free Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) to model methane emissions reductions from the waste sector
Report series identifying the correlations between methane and public health for international, national, and local health communities
Scenario modeling tool to help decision-makers in New York State understand the viability and performance of waste-to-energy technologies
Developing a toolkit, e-learning videos, and webinars to help decision makers in developing countries bolster their solid waste management as part of EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) efforts
Secure financing and renewable energy for the electrification of health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa through USAID Power Africa
Our Experts
Insights
Spotlight On: Methane
Abt provides technical assistance to stakeholders to advance methane mitigation and capture strategies across countries and sectors.
Societal Benefits of Methane Mitigation
Methane is a potent, short lived greenhouse gas contributing global warming. In this paper, Abt unpacks how investments in methane abatement benefits society.
Linking Municipal Solid Waste, Methane Emissions, and Health Ahead of COP28
Organic waste generates methane, which causes as many as 1 million deaths annually; this blog identifies steps to manage waste and reduce methane.
Spotlight On: Circular Economy
Abt Global helps clients integrate a circular economy perspective into sustainable materials management and pollution prevention.
2023 UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28)
Abt was proud to join governments, the private sector, civil society, frontline communities, and others at the 28th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) to accelerate climate action.
International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) 2023 World Congress
Abt environment experts will present at the 2023 International Solid Waste Association World Congress from October 30 – November 1.
Marine Litter 101: What You Need to Know
Marine litter, including plastics, is a persistent environmental pollutant that leaks into the waterways and causes environmental, economic, and health impacts.
Evaluation of Advanced Waste-to-Energy Technologies in New York State
In 2012, New York state (NYS) generated over 17.8 million tons of municipal solid waste. An assessment of the options for reducing landfilled waste and emissions through the use of advanced waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies was needed, as was an…