Applying Circular Economy Principles to Plastic Waste Management Strategies for the Developing World

Waste plastic accumulation, especially at the detriment of water and land resources is a global problem. Unfortunately, there are currently no globally effective strategies to keep waste plastic out of the ecosystem that meet the challenges of both developed and developing countries. This is primarily because waste plastic is not a point-source pollutant. Unsound post-consumer disposal is the primary pathway of waste plastic into the ecosystem. One way of addressing this problem is through the establishment of a circular economy for waste plastic. Unfortunately, much of the unsound disposal comes from economically disadvantaged regions where waste disposal and recycling infrastructure is limited or unavailable. Therefore, to be impactful, in rural or economically disadvantaged regions, the establishment of a circular economy for waste plastic must be locally managed and decentralized, meaning that the disposal, collection, remanufacture and use must all occur within the same community. Therefore waste plastic abatement strategies must be targeted to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste onsite at the local level, initiating a locally managed decentralized circular economy appropriate for infrastructure limited regions. To be effective, technologies for recycling plastic must be low-cost, economically viable, socially acceptable and not adversely impact the environment, but also produce a product that has a ready market in the local community. This is critical because although environmental concerns are important, unless proposed solutions are also economically viable and socially appropriate, they are unlikely to be successful, especially in underdeveloped regions.