Exploring the future of the circular economy in the South African waste sector

Abstract

The traditional linear economy where products are made, used and discarded has been prominently the easiest way of managing waste. This has evidently proven to cause problems such as accumulation of waste, depletion of natural resources and deterioration of the environment. Against this background, there is a need to move away from this linear way of thinking to a circular economy system where products are circulated into a loop after they have reached their lifespan. The aim of the study was to explore the future of the circular economy in the South African waste sector. The aim was achieved by interviewing 14 participants using semi structured face to face interviews. The sample size of 14 was sufficient considering the depth of the interviews. Participants included academics, government officials and representatives from the waste management companies. The futures thinking 7 question method which is published was adopted in order to explore the views of the participants with regards to the future of the circular economy in the South African waste sector. The strongest dependencies for future transition to circular economy in the South African waste sector was policy change and legislation implementation followed by the integration of the informal waste sector into the formal system. Awareness education and cultural change coupled with availability of infrastructure was also emphasised. Furthermore, participants also indicated keeping materials in a circular loop, improving economic growth, implementation of waste hierarchy, research and development as part of the factors that will support the future transition to circular economy in the South African waste sector. Regarding future directions, the study provided recommendations to policy makers, municipalities and waste management companies. The recommendations range from reviewing and changing policy followed by implementation, reintroduce separation at source to reduce landfill waste disposal coupled with awareness and education, lastly, introduction of new business models such as repairing, reusing, sharing economy models and also embracing new digital technologies that will allows participation and collaboration across the value chain.