Across Oman, efforts to manage waste have improved significantly over the past decade. Modern landfills, better collection systems, and growing awareness campaigns mark important progress. Yet managing waste is only the beginning. The larger opportunity lies in moving beyond disposal toward a fully circular society – one that transforms waste into economic value and strengthens long-term resilience.

Circular economy principles are already visible across several sectors in Oman. In households and neighbourhoods, simple practices such as sorting waste, repairing items instead of discarding them, and promoting recycling can have a measurable impact when widely adopted. These everyday actions form the foundation of a circular society.

For small and medium-sized businesses, circular practices are more than an environmental choice – they represent a pathway to new markets. Enterprises involved in recycling, refurbishment, repairs, and waste-based manufacturing tend to hire locally and keep profits within the country. This directly supports job creation and aligns with Oman’s In-Country Value strategy.

The construction sector presents particularly strong opportunities. Construction and demolition waste can be processed into new building materials instead of being dumped. This reduces landfill pressure, cuts costs, and lowers reliance on imported materials.

Similarly, the food and hospitality sector has significant potential to reduce waste, redistribute surplus food, and convert organic waste into compost or energy. When combined with renewable energy and efficiency improvements, these practices strengthen the entire economy.

Despite these opportunities, progress toward a circular society in Oman remains fragmented. Organisations such as be’ah have modernised waste management systems, improved landfill operations, and launched recycling initiatives. Municipalities have introduced awareness campaigns, and some private companies are beginning to recognise the value of resource recovery. However, most initiatives remain focused narrowly on waste, rather than on the full production–consumption system.

The missing link is integration. Production, consumption, education, procurement, and community behaviour are still largely treated as separate domains. True circularity emerges only when these elements work together. Encouragingly, Oman’s National Circular Economy Gap Calculation Project represents an important step toward understanding where materials are lost and how value can be retained.

Looking beyond waste management reveals substantial economic benefits. International experience shows that circular activities – such as repair, recycling, and remanufacturing – create more jobs per tonne of material than landfill disposal. These jobs are local, skills-based, and accessible to young people and entrepreneurs. Using locally recovered materials also reduces exposure to global price volatility and supply chain disruptions, which have become increasingly common.

The barriers Oman faces are not unique, and they are not primarily technical. One challenge is that policies related to waste, industry, education, and public procurement often operate in silos. Without coordination, circular initiatives struggle to scale. Incentives for businesses and consumers remain limited, making disposal more attractive than repair or reuse. Education systems are only beginning to integrate circular thinking, leaving gaps in skills related to sustainable design and systems thinking. Finally, community participation remains underdeveloped. Circular societies succeed when people feel ownership of the process, not when change is imposed from above.

So where does Oman go from here? Building a circular society is a long-term journey rather than a single policy decision. Key institutions have critical roles to play. be’ah, having established strong waste management foundations, can evolve into a circular society enabler. This includes scaling waste-to-value initiatives such as organic waste composting, construction material recovery, and e-waste recycling, while supporting Extended Producer Responsibility schemes for packaging and electronics.

Improved data transparency, partnerships with SMEs, and collaboration with municipalities and educational institutions can help connect currently fragmented efforts. Education institutions themselves are vital. Universities and colleges can act as living laboratories, embedding circular economy principles into engineering, business, and policy programmes, while demonstrating circular practices on their campuses.

Communities and civil society are equally important. Neighbourhood recycling initiatives, repair cultures, and reuse networks turn policy ideas into everyday practice. Practical next steps could include expanding public awareness beyond recycling, piloting circular neighbourhoods, supporting SMEs through finance and skills development, embedding circular criteria into ICV frameworks, and improving transparency around material flows.

Ultimately, a circular society is not built by technology alone. It is built by people, institutions, and shared responsibility. Oman has already laid important foundations. The task ahead is to connect them – so that circularity becomes a way of life, strengthening resilience, managing economic shocks, and supporting sustainable growth for years to come.

© Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).