Assessment of the Status of Plastic Waste Management and Circular Economy in Nigeria

Abstract

The world is faced with challenges resulting from the management of huge amount solid waste generation, out of which plastic wastes contribute about 60%. Ineffective management of plastic wastes in developing countries like Nigeria makes it more affected by the menace of waste pollution. As a tool towards sustainable waste management, circular economy approach utilizes the “never-ending” property of plastics, making it recyclable it and creating sustainable wealth from the waste. However, despite series of government and individual efforts towards conversion of plastic wastes into useable products, the waste generation and its effects continue to be on alarming rate in Nigeria. This paper did extensive review of existing waste management frameworks in Nigeria and their applicability towards the achievement of circular economy. Key concepts of circular economy such as elimination of waste and pollution, circulation of products and materials, and restoration of nature were used in the assessment. In addition to poor implementation of existing solid waste management policies market acceptability of recycled plastic products is still low in Nigeria, hence the need for holistic approaches towards coordination of formal and informal plastic waste recyclers, and establishment of strong linkage between end-user industries and enabling environment to support the recycling process.