Assessing the health impacts of waste management in the context of the circular economy

The circular economy (‎CE)‎ is about increasing re-use, recycling and energy recovery from existing resources, whilst minimizing disposal. This report considers the public health implications for CE transition relevant to the waste sector. The use of health impact assessment (‎HIA)‎ is considered as a tool to support strategic and project level decisions about waste management policy and infrastructure. Six HIA case-studies and a literature review are presented, pointing to potential win-wins for the CE and population health. This is particularly the case when it is technically and economically feasible to transition from unsanitary landfill that releases hazardous leachate or open air burning of waste, to modern well operated and maintained energy and materials recovery practices that have greatly reduced health risk profiles. HIA that considers the wider determinants of health and health inequalities can articulate the benefits and risks, supporting more sustainable development practices.