Accelerated urbanization and rising affluence have augmented waste generation, overloading traditional disposal systems worldwide. This Chapter examines endemic barriers governance asymmetries, land scarcity, fiscal gaps, and behavioral inertia—and proposes community-centered solutions that realign waste with the principles of a circular economy. The Chapter merges a decade-long Scopus bibliometric survey (2015–2024) with political ecology theory and legal empowerment lenses to reveal how power relations shape material flows. Best practices from India, Indonesia, Ghana, South Africa, Brazil, and Ethiopia showcase adaptive, low-cost models, including kitchen-pit composting, stem fermentation, informal sector recycling, eco-sanitation, and faith-based organic recovery. Integrating extended producer responsibility, participatory monitoring, and open data emerges as critical for scaling impact. The Chapter moreover demonstrates that rights-based frameworks, such as those related to the India’s Forest Rights Act, 2006, and finance, as well as transdisciplinary research clusters, can operationalize waste trajectories, delivering co-benefits for public health, livelihoods, climate mitigation, and ecological justice. The insights offer blueprints for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars seeking to achieve equitable waste governance in urban and rural settings worldwide.