Escalating material throughput in cities is overwhelming conventional disposal pathways, yet it simultaneously presents an opportunity to re-imagine waste as a socio-economic resource. This chapter examines how citizen agency, innovative finance, and geospatial intelligence can accelerate the transition to a circular urban metabolism. Drawing on a bibliometric survey of 2,435 Scopus documents (2015–2024), best practices of global field projects, and critical synthesis of community empowerment theory, we distill three systemic levers: (1) lifelong environmental learning that translates knowledge into civic habits; (2) inclusive value chains that professionalize informal collectors and capture domestic organics for local bio-economies; and (3) adaptive policy packages that couple pay-as-you-throw incentives with real-time data dashboards. The chapter demonstrates that when these levers operate in tandem, diversion rates exceed 60%, while social trust and green employment increase. The chapter closes with an action matrix that links interventions to relevant sustainable development goals, guiding scholars, investors, city managers, and worldwide decision-makers.