ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY IN AFRICA

This report by WWF South Africa presents the economic rationale for transitioning from a linear 'take-make-waste' plastic packaging model to a circular plastics economy by 2050 in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and South Africa. Using computational general equilibrium (CGE) modelling, the study demonstrates that such a transition would lead to positive cumulative effects on GDP, employment, and consumer welfare across all three nations while significantly reducing the costs of environmental externalities.

• A transition to a circular plastics economy is projected to increase economic activity and GDP for Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and South Africa by 2050 compared to a business-as-usual scenario. For Côte d’Ivoire, immediate implementation could result in additional GDP growth of $1.1 billion. Kenya could see additional GDP growth of $2.53 billion, and South Africa could benefit from additional GDP growth of $7.2 billion through an incremental implementation approach.
• The transition is expected to create a net increase in demand for both skilled and unskilled labour across the three studied countries. While employment is projected to decline in primary plastics sectors, these losses are expected to be absorbed by growth in the secondary plastics and services sectors, such as repair, refill, and logistics.
• The linear plastic packaging model imposes significant costs through externalities. By 2050, the accumulated costs of continuing with a business-as-usual scenario are estimated at $211.8 million for Côte d’Ivoire, $425.8 million for Kenya, and $475.7 million for South Africa.
• The report identifies a substantial informal waste sector in the three countries that would be impacted by a circular transition. As of 2020, there were an estimated 30,043 informal waste reclaimers in Côte d’Ivoire, 71,097 in Kenya, and 108,564 in South Africa.
• The three countries exhibit varying levels of policy maturity. South Africa has the most robust policy framework but suffers from misalignment between government departments. Kenya has implemented significant bans (e.g., the 2017 plastic bag ban) but struggles with enforcement. Côte d’Ivoire has the least comprehensive landscape, with weak enforcement of existing waste legislation.
• Regional trade in plastics is currently characterized by trade deficits in all three countries, with East Asia (including China), the EU, and the Middle East serving as major origins for imports. The report suggests that localizing the regional value chain for circular plastics would benefit eastern and western Africa by 2050.
• To achieve a circular plastics economy by 2050, the report's modelling assumes three core requirements: a 30% reduction in overall consumption of single-use plastic packaging (including phasing out problematic polymers), substituting 50% of virgin plastic with post-consumer recycled plastic, and the wide adoption of packaging reuse and refill models.
• The report recommends several policy instruments to guide the transition, including mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), and the establishment of product standards and certifications to mandate circular design.

APA

Benn, H., Velelo, L., Fourie, D., & Rossouw, R. (2022). ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY IN AFRICA. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/economic_case_for_a_circular_plastics_economy_in_africa.pdf

Chicago

Benn, Hannah, Lukhanyo Velelo, Deon Fourie, and Riaan Rossouw. ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY IN AFRICA. WWF South Africa, 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/economic_case_for_a_circular_plastics_economy_in_africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Benn |first1=Hannah |last2=Velelo |first2=Lukhanyo |last3=Fourie |first3=Deon |last4=Rossouw |first4=Riaan |title=ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY IN AFRICA |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/economic_case_for_a_circular_plastics_economy_in_africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benn2022economic, author = {Benn, Hannah and Velelo, Lukhanyo and Fourie, Deon and Rossouw, Riaan}, title = {{ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY IN AFRICA}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/economic_case_for_a_circular_plastics_economy_in_africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }