Circular Economy: A New Pathway to Sustainability in Africa

Abstract

Circular Economy concept is increasingly gaining attention in environmental and economic literatures, industry and policymakers‘ agenda as a new way to achieve sustainable development and to balance the economic and environmental sustainability in both developed and developing countries. Circular Economy could be considered as a new economic model that replace the traditional linear economic model, in which raw materials are used to make a product, and after its use any waste is thrown away, to a non linear circular model based on recycling and reusing of materials, in which there is almost zero waste. It aims to stimulate economic growth while reducing pressure on environment and natural resources. This paper aims to identify the status and recent applications of circular economy in Africa, by first gives a conceptual framework of circular economy and its relationship with sustainable development, and its status in Africa both on macro and micro levels. And then analyse its potentials and opportunities in Africa and the existing barriers that may hinder the adaptation of that economic model through PEST analysis. The paper found that although Africa has huge potentials to implement circular economy especially considering waste management which is not fully utilized yet, there is still no clear notification for circular economy in governmental planes and development strategies, circular economy practices is widely exists in African societies but mostly by informal actors. The paper also found that in order to implement circular economy as a new pathway to achieve sustainable development a lot of constraints and barriers (economic, social andtechnical) needed to be addressed with a comprehensive plane that paved the way to implement circular economy.