PH to Convene ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy, Pushing Region's Shift Away from Single-Use Waste

MANILA, Philippines — As ASEAN economies grow, so does the waste they leave behind, with plastics, packaging, and electronics piling up faster than the region can recover them. The Philippines is convening the region's policymakers, industry, and civil society to change that trajectory, hosting the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy (ARDCE) on 22 to 23 September 2026 at the New World Hotel Makati.

The two-day Dialogue, convened under the Philippine ASEAN Chairship 2026, will look at how member states can move from a linear "take-make-dispose" model toward one built on reuse, recycling, and resource efficiency, guided by the ASEAN Framework for Circular Economy, the ASEAN Sustainable Consumption and Production Framework, and the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Marine Debris.

Discussions will span national circular economy policies, the role of local governments, Extended Producer Responsibility and other policy instruments, and financing and market mechanisms that can help businesses and communities make the shift. A dedicated session will focus on ensuring MSMEs and informal waste workers are not left behind as the region formalizes and scales up circular systems.

"Long-term solutions must also address the problem at its source and strengthen measures that can discourage repeated abuse of natural resources," Environment Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said in an earlier DENR statement on strengthening the country's waste management framework under the EPR Act.

For ordinary Filipinos and communities across ASEAN, the Dialogue points to something concrete: cleaner neighborhoods, new livelihoods built around recycling and resource recovery, and stronger safety nets for the informal waste workers who already do much of this work today. Because waste and pollution do not stop at borders, the region's response has to be shared, and the Dialogue is designed to turn that shared urgency into partnerships and investments member states can act on.

The Dialogue will produce an ASEAN Chair's Summary on Circular Economy Policy and Implementation, capturing key policy messages and priority recommendations. The Summary will feed into discussions at the ASEAN Circular Economy Forum in October 2026, carrying the region's work forward as the Philippines' Chairship year builds toward the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila this November.