Toward a circular economy for plastics

Living in a society where plastic has become a necessity, the over-reliance on these materials is quite disturbing as they have social and economic effects, especially in waste disposal and resource management. Such issues have introduced the circular plastics economy (CPE), which aims to eliminate plastic waste by focusing on reducing, recycling, and reusing (3R) and designing biodegradable plastic products. Owing to these facts, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to analyze the existing literature on circular economy principles and plastic waste management systems in terms of 3R initiatives. Also, this study showcases the CPE by investigating how it is possible to manage plastic within a circular economy instead of a linear system. Additionally, system dynamics modeling (SDM) was applied to examine the inter-relationships between key elements such as plastic production, waste generation, recycling rates, and regulatory actions, along with the cognizance phase of waste diversion and advanced sorting technology to minimize landfill dependency and environmental pollution initiatives, including producer responsibility programs and zero-landfill targets. This study accumulated that zero waste strategies, such as plastic circularity, national waste management, and high-quality recycling, have achieved recycling rates ranging from 30% to 81% across various countries, significantly reducing plastic waste and enhancing resource efficiency. However, the added strategies in countries that are related to policy-driven initiatives can prospectively be useful for increasing recycling capacity to eliminate plastic waste in landfills, promoting a circular economy and sustainable waste management practices. This study also involved the critical stakeholders of the CPE who will make the utilization of plastic waste a reality. Ultimately, this research contributes to the fast-growing knowledge base on plastic waste management by presenting an interdisciplinary framework based on model synthesis and mathematical modeling, which is crucial for decision-makers, industries, and researchers.

PurposeThis paper aims to provide insights into the environment needed for advancing a digitally enabled circular plastic economy in Africa. It explores important technical and social paradigms for the transition.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted an interpretivist paradigm, drawing on thematic analysis on qualitative data from an inter-sectoral engagement with 69 circular economy stakeholders across the continent.FindingsThe results shows that, while substantial progress has been made with regard to the development and deployment of niche innovations in Africa, the overall progress of circular plastic economy is slowed due to relatively minimal changes at the regime levels as well as pressures from the exogenous landscape. The study highlights that regime changes are crucial for disrupting the entrenched linear plastic economy in developing countries, which is supported by significant sunk investment and corporate state capture.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study is with the sample as it uses data collected from five countries. Therefore, while it offers a panoramic view of multi-level synergy of actors and sectors across African countries, it is limited in its scope and ability to illuminate country-specific nuances and peculiarities.Practical implicationsThe study underlines the importance of policy innovations and regulatory changes in order for technologies to have a meaningful contribution to the transition to a circular plastic economy.Originality/valueThe study makes an important theoretical contribution by using empirical evidence from various African regions to articulate the critical importance of the regime dimension in accelerating the circular economy transition in general, and the circular plastic economy in particular, in Africa.

Today, plastics are ubiquitous in everyday life, problem solvers of modern technologies, and crucial for sustainable development. Yet the surge in global demand for plastics of the growing world population has triggered a tidal wave of plastic debris in the environment. Moving from a linear to a zero-waste and carbon-neutral circular plastic economy is vital for the future of the planet. Taming the plastic waste flood requires closing the carbon loop through plastic reuse, mechanical and molecular recycling, carbon capture, and use of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. In the quest for eco-friendly products, plastics do not need to be reinvented but tuned for reuse and recycling. Their full potential must be exploited regarding energy, resource, and eco-efficiency, waste prevention, circular economy, climate change mitigation, and lowering environmental pollution. Biodegradation holds promise for composting and bio-feedstock recovery, but it is neither the Holy Grail of circular plastics economy nor a panacea for plastic littering. As an alternative to mechanical downcycling, molecular recycling enables both closed-loop recovery of virgin plastics and open-loop valorization, producing hydrogen, fuels, refinery feeds, lubricants, chemicals, and carbonaceous materials. Closing the carbon loop does not create a Perpetuum Mobile and requires renewable energy to achieve sustainability.

The global pollution and waste crisis presents us with environmental and economic challenges which if not properly addressed could destabilise or threaten the survival and welfare of societies. The European Union is responding to the waste and pollution crisis through its circular economy agenda that adopts a broad life-cycle approach to the regulation of plastics from production, consumption, disposal, and recycling. To operationalise its agenda, the European Union seeks to inter alia mobilise all actors towards the objective of improving the economics of plastic recycling. Given the potential for conflicts and disputes to proliferate across a broad range of societal actors and interests, it is perhaps not surprising that when we examine the evolving EU legal and normative framework for a circular plastics economy, we observe a polycentric governance arrangement that includes the EU institutions, the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA), and European standardisation organisations (i.e. CEN and CENELEC). The normative interactions amongst these governance bodies will not easily be unveiled and understood if we enclose our perspectives and analyses within the limits of traditional legal paradigms that only focus upon the formal law-making processes that flow through the European Parliament, Council, and Commission. However, by applying Karl Llewellyn’s law-jobs theory in this article, it is possible to analyse how a multiplicity of governance bodies perform certain legal functions that are contributing to the development of regulatory order for a European circular plastics economy. This article sets out a number of key findings in relation to the evolving legal and normative framework for a European circular plastics economy pertaining to the role of the CPA in framing problems, theorising solutions, and shaping the pathway of normative development towards a European circular plastics economy. To date, the CPA has identified obstacles to the expansion of the European recycled plastics market, and mapped the areas in need of standardisation if such obstacles are to be overcome This work by the CPA has prompted the European Commission to submit a standardisation request to the CEN and CENELEC calling for the development of harmonised standards to facilitate greater plastic recycling. While compliance with CEN and CENELEC standards would be voluntary, such standards could interact with the EU’s proposed Ecodesign Regulation and any delegated acts adopted thereto, thereby creating legal obligations for a wide range of actors across plastic value chains.

The European Union has made the development of a circular economy one of the central ambitions of its Green Deal, in which plastics are a defined priority. Current policies, however, have drawn criticism that the narrow focus on techno-innovation opportunities and economic growth falls short of addressing multifaceted socio-ecological challenges, overlooks trade-offs between proposed solutions, and conceals conflicts of interest among different actors. This paper contributes to opening-up the critical political debate on the circular plastics economy using discourse analysis. Looking at how arguments are framed, which priorities are defined, and how actors take positions, we identify three circular plastics economy discourses in Europe: ‘Plastic fantastic’ (material-focused), ‘Circular economy will fly us to the moon’ (plastics economy-focused), and ‘Even plastic flowers are dead in this system’ (socio-ecological systems-focused). Our paper demonstrates that the circular plastics economy is inherently political and is actively imagined, built, and created through discursive mechanisms.

To tackle the “plastic crisis”, the concept of circular economy has attracted considerable attention over the past years, both by practitioners and scholars alike. Against this background, this article reflects from a political scientist’s point of view on key issues currently under discussion regarding the implementation of a circular plastics economy. To do so, the article covers issues raised at the 2021 edition of the Tutzing Symposion, an annual event organized by DECHEMA, the German Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. These issues include renewable feedstock, life cycle assessments, chemical recycling, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and the allocation of responsibilities to curb plastic pollution. In addition, the article draws on mainly social scientists’ research to point out limitations of the most common understanding of the circular economy concept which describes the circular economy as a holistic approach that enables eco-economic decoupling and thus prevents ecological collapse while still allowing for economic growth. As a result, the article calls for a paradigm shift that challenges this popular, technocratic vision of the circular economy and puts forward sufficiency, i.e., an absolute reduction in production and consumption, as a prerequisite for the realization of a truly circular plastics economy.

Plastics are of key importance for numerous technical applications due to their functional properties and cost efficiency. However, their production from fossil raw materials and disposal pose major environmental problems. The transition to a circular economy (CE) is supposed to address these problems and is particularly difficult for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A framework is developed that illustrates circular economy (CE) strategies in the plastics industry, focussing on the practical implementation in the product life cycle and the actual contribution to a CE. Case studies of a polypropylene desk equipment and a polyurethane foam insulation element illustrate the practical application of the developed framework in two German SMEs and indicate further need for support. The developed CE concepts for both product systems were evaluated based on their environmental impacts using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results show that CE strategies must be product-specific to be effective. Strategies such as the use of post-industrial recyclates and the use of biobased materials offer advantages but are not sufficient on their own to close material cycles. Closed-loop recycling and the reuse of products require customised collection systems but can contribute to truly closed material cycles. Overall, this framework serves as a starting point for identification of CE concepts for plastic products by companies and thereby promotes the transition to a more circular plastics economy. Future research should focus on evaluation of technical compatibility and long-term consequences as well as scalability of CE strategies and on alternative evaluation approaches.

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Global Plastic Pollution and the Transition Towards a Circular Economy: Lessons from the EU’s Legal Framework on Plastics

Microplastics (MPs) less than 5 mm in dimension are progressively becoming persistent in aquatic and food ecosystems and are a global concern. Microbeads (less than 1 mm) used in household cleaners, cosmetics, and apparel washing are the primary source, followed by secondary sources including broken-down plastic litter and waste. They are ingested by a range of aquatic animals, including zooplankton, crustaceans, and fish, and can enter human food chains in a variety of manners. Thus, microplastic pollution poses a detrimental effect on the overall ecological balance, including the aquatic ecosystem, food safety, and human health. Strategies such as microbial enzymes/biofilms and nanotechnology-based solutions to MPs biodegradation, the usage of substitute materials such as biodegradable plastics, and source reduction could be employed to mitigate microplastic pollution. In addition, the implementation of plastic waste into the circular economy, for example by applying the reduce, recycle, and reuse approach, could potentially serve as a sustainable solution to abate the adverse effects of plastics. Thus, plastic waste could contribute to a sustainable circular and climate-neutral economy as a result of its durability and recyclability. This review presents a comprehensive report on microplastic management and transformation strategies, reflecting bioremediation coupled with circular economy-based solutions to microplastic pollution. It also highlights future recommendations to stakeholders and for governmental policies for the reduction of plastic pollution by potentially utilizing plastic waste in a circular economy to generate wealth from waste. Overall, this article provides an exhaustive and essential overview of microplastic treatment procedures and their role in the circular economy, where plastic waste generated by aquatic and food-based ecosystems might possibly be managed and re-utilized.

Circular economy (CE) research plays an important role in accelerating the CE transition globally and is an essential tool to contribute to climate change adaptation. However, prior CE research is primarily focused on countries in the Global North, whereas CE research in the Global South has been largely unexplored, especially in African countries and contexts. Therefore, this study aims to develop a preliminary research agenda for CE development in African countries by identifying the current body of knowledge on CE, the existing CE research gaps and barriers to conducting CE research in African countries. This research applied a mixed method research design, whereby this study reviewed a total of 275 English and French articles from Google Scholar through a scoping literature review and carried out a quantitative and qualitative survey with 38 CE industry experts working on CE projects in African countries. The findings suggest that South Africa is the front-runner in CE research, with the most relevant publications and ongoing research projects conducted by CE experts. The dominant focus on CE research in South Africa is an urgent call for scholars to conduct country-specific research for additional African countries, especially since a significant number of publications do not distinguish between countries. Based on findings, this study concludes that the current body of CE knowledge is primarily focused on one aspect of CE, circulating materials and products (keep products and materials in use), while there is consensus from published journal papers that there are meaningful gaps in other CE principles such as designing out waste and pollution and regenerating natural systems. Therefore, this paper suggests a list of research topics that can be further investigated. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first attempt to establish a preliminary research agenda for CE across African contexts and countries.

Plastics have transformed our modern world. With a range of outstanding properties, they are used in an ever-widening range of applications. However, the linear economy of their use means that a large volume of plastics is discarded after use. It is believed that approximately 80% of the estimated total 6.3 Bt of plastics ever produced have been discarded, representing not only a huge loss of valuable resources, but mismanaged waste is also the origin of an ever-increasing environmental disaster. Strategies to prevent loss of materials resources and damage to the environment are elements of a circular plastics economy that aims to maintain plastics at their highest value for the longest time possible and at the same time improve the economy and prevent detrimental environmental impact. The latter in particular is driving recent changes in policies and legislation across the world that are rapidly being introduced in order to solve these environmental issues. The achievement of a circular economy will require not only innovative technical developments, but also major economic investment and changes to business practice coupled with significant changes in social behaviour. This paper summarizes the complex and highly interrelated technical issues and provides an overview of the major challenges, potential solutions and opportunities required to achieve and operate a circular plastics economy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Science to enable the circular economy'.

Bringing a governance perspective to plastic litter: A structural analysis of the German PET industry

Enabling resource circularity through thermo-catalytic and solvent-based conversion of waste plastics

Plastic waste pollution is a growing environmental and economic challenge in Africa, driven by rapid urbanization, increased plastic consumption, and inadequate waste management infrastructure. Traditional linear waste management models, characterized by “take, make, and dispose” practices, have led to significant environmental degradation and public health risks. A circular economy (CE) approach offers a sustainable alternative by promoting plastic waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, transforming waste into valuable resources. This review explores circular economy principles and their application in plastic waste management across African urban centers. Key opportunities include job creation, resource efficiency, private sector investment, and policy-driven waste management reforms. However, challenges such as weak regulatory frameworks, limited infrastructure, informal sector integration, and low public awareness hinder full adoption. The study emphasizes the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, and policy alignment to achieve a sustainable circular plastic economy in Africa. Keywords: Circular economy, plastic waste, waste management, sustainability, Africa, recycling, policy, innovation