We are a research and strategy firm speclaizing in waste management and recycling.
OUR MISSION
To create a world without waste by driving the transition towards a circular economy in Asia. We do this by enabling industries, investors, government and multilateral agencies and global foundations to unlock business opportunities from fast-growing streams of food and packaging waste.
OUR PUBLICATIONS
PLASTICS CIRCULARITY IN MALAYSIA - MARKET STUDY
CLIENT: WORLD BANK
COUNTRY: MALAYSIA
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021
This study assesses Malaysia’s plastics recycling industry and its role in supporting a circular economy. One its key findings is that Malaysia recycled just 24% of key plastic resins in 2019 and is not on track to meet the JPSPN (National Solid Waste Management Department) recycling target of 40% by 2025. Because of various systemic and market challenges, only 19% of the total material value or $US 234 million per year is currently unlocked.
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The report identifies major challenges, market drivers and opportunities for scaling-up recycling efforts via targeted public and private sector interventions.
PLASTICS CIRCULARITY IN THAILAND - MARKET STUDY
CLIENT: WORLD BANK
COUNTRY: THAILAND
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2021
This study assesses Thailand’s plastics recycling industry and its role in supporting a circular economy. One its key findings is that Thailand recycled just 17.6% of key plastic resins in 2018, falling short of the National Plastic Waste Management Roadmap 2018-2030 target of 22%. 87% of the material value of plastics in Thailand – approximately US$3.6 billion per year – is lost when 2.88 million tonnes are discarded rather than recycled into valuable materials.
The report identifies major challenges, market drivers and opportunities for scaling-up recycling efforts via targeted public and private sector interventions.
SAFEGUARDING THE PLASTIC RECYCLING VALUE CHAIN: INSIGHTS FROM COVID-19 IMPACT
CLIENT: CIRCULATE CAPITAL
REGION / COUNTRIES: SOUTHEAST ASIA, INDIA
YEAR: 2020
The plastics recycling industry was facing significant challenges before COVID-19. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated matters and immediate interventions are needed to prevent long-term setbacks for the industry and an increase of plastic waste pollution.
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Based on more than 100 interviews, this white paper highlights six key impacts to the recycling value chain in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, along with a three-phase plan to prevent lasting damage to the sector and build a stronger, better industry for the long term.
FULL CIRCLE - ACCELERATING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR POST-CONSUMER PET BOTTLES
CLIENT: COCA-COLA
REGION: SOUTHEAST ASIA
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2019
This report is the first to provide a systematic and comparative baseline of the flow of plastics packaging from production to end-states by studying PET bottles in six countries in Southeast Asia - Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Five of these six countries are among the top 10 global contributors to ocean plastic leakage.
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The report includes detailed baseline data collection, identifies five key findings and five recommended priority actions to accelerate the circular economy for PET bottles in Southeast Asia.
TOWARDS CIRCULARITY OF POST-CONSUMER FLEXIBLE PACKAGING IN ASIA
CLIENT: AMCOR
COUNTRIES: INDIA, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES
YEAR: 2017
This report attempts to highlight the challenges and opportunities in addressing concerns around post-consumer flexible packaging in Asia with a focus on three large markets for post-consumer flexible packaging - India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
It provides an overview of waste management realities these three countries and explores the current efforts around collection and recycling of post-consumer flexible packaging. It includes a comparative analysis of the various collection and recycling efforts and a summary of findings and recommendations to effectively stem the flow of post-consumer flexible packaging into landfills and the environment.
GLOBAL CLIENTS
Our clients are from across plastics, packaging and consumer goods industries, global multilateral institutions, non-profits as well as government agencies. They include:​
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World Bank
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UN Environment
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Coca-Cola
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Nestlé
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Unilever
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P&G
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TetraPak
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Amcor
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Borouge
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Government of Singapore (National Environment Agency)
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Circulate Capital
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National Geographic Society
TEAM
ASHWIN SUBRAMANIAM
CEO & MANAGING DIRECTOR
Ashwin is an experienced environmental consultant with over 10 years of business experience across Asia. He has led various materials-flow analysis, waste management economics research, strategy advisory and implementation projects on circular economy in this region. He specialises in packaging and food in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore and has worked with some of the biggest multinational clients from consumer goods and packaging industries as well as government agencies and intergovernmental organisations.
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Prior to founding GA Circular, Ashwin graduated with a business degree and worked in investment banking in Singapore for several years, managing credit risk operations with institutional clients for financial derivatives in Asia-Pacific. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science, University of London.
LAURA ALLEN
COO & DIRECTOR
Laura, co-founder and director at GA Circular, has over 10 years of research and consulting experience ranging in fields of marketing, consumer insights, environmental consulting and waste management. In her role at GA Circular, Laura has led materials-flow analysis, waste management economics research, strategy advisory and implementation projects on circular economy in this region. She specialises in packaging and food in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and India.
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Prior to co-founding GA, Laura graduated with a business degree and she worked in the FMCG and F&B sectors in Vietnam for 4 years and was part of the founding leadership team of AIESEC in Vietnam for 2 years. She holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of South Australia.
GA CIRCULAR IN ASIA
110,827
DATA POINTS COLLECTED
4,627
STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS
462
WASTE AUDITS COMPLETED
64
EVENTS ORGANISED
21
RESEARCH REPORTS
15