Zambia has a growing waste management problem that is contributing to economic, environmental and social sustainability concerns. The Circular Economy (CE) concept is gathering interest as an appealing approach to transform how resources are used and managed. However, Zambia’s current linear waste management approach means value-creation opportunities based on reduce, reuse and recycle principles are missed. This research examines Zambia’s current policy and legislative approach through document review and stakeholder interviews to understand how enabling the landscape is for a CE. The findings highlight various policy challenges that impede the circular transition. These include ownership and coordination ambiguities; limited implementation and enforcement; a restrictive licensing approach; low support for innovation; and a lack of inclusion of the informal sector. The key recommendations are as follows: to prioritise the development of enabling waste infrastructure for circularity; to improve policy coordination at the ministerial level; to develop an effective multistakeholder CE strategy; and to boost incentives to stimulate private sector interest in circular business models.
Hazemba et al. (Tue,) studied this question.