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Plastic Waste Mitigation Strategies: A Review of Lessons from Developing Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Anil Hira

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Henrique Pacini

    (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)

  • Kweku Attafuah-Wadee

    (Resources Transformation Ghana)

  • David Vivas-Eugui

    (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)

  • Michael Saltzberg

    (DuPont)

  • Tze Ni Yeoh

    (Circular Economy Alliance)

Abstract

Global plastics waste is an issue of ever-increasing urgency. Estimates suggest some 79% of plastic waste is dumped into the environment, where it is likely to have devastating effects on ecosystems and human health. Marine plastic pollution is a particularly challenging issue, as plastics take decades to break down, and do so into micro- and nanoparticles that affect marine ecosystems and the food web. The plastics pollution problem is magnified in the Global South, where rising production and consumption coexist with underdeveloped waste treatment systems and large volumes of imported plastic waste. This article examines the reasons for the failure to curb plastic waste in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA), target regions of the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) program funded to address such issues. The article examines the challenges in shifting manufacturing processes and natural materials substitution for reducing plastics waste. It recommends greater external financial and technical support for waste treatment, stakeholder consensus and awareness-building, regulatory policies that reduce the price and convenience differentials between plastics and substitute materials, and a push towards enforcement of environmental regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Anil Hira & Henrique Pacini & Kweku Attafuah-Wadee & David Vivas-Eugui & Michael Saltzberg & Tze Ni Yeoh, 2022. "Plastic Waste Mitigation Strategies: A Review of Lessons from Developing Countries," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 38(3), pages 336-359, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jodeso:v:38:y:2022:i:3:p:336-359
    DOI: 10.1177/0169796X221104855
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Cleveland & Donna Cleveland & Ann Morrison & Khoi Hoang Dinh & An Nguyen Pham Hai & Luca Freitas Ribeiro & Khanh Tran Duy, 2025. "Uncovering Plastic Pollution: A Scoping Review of Urban Waterways, Technologies, and Interdisciplinary Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-28, August.
    2. Milon Selvam Dennison & Sathish Kumar Paramasivam & Titus Wanazusi & Kirubanidhi Jebabalan Sundarrajan & Bubu Pius Erheyovwe & Abisha Meji Marshal Williams, 2025. "Addressing Plastic Waste Challenges in Africa: The Potential of Pyrolysis for Waste-to-Energy Conversion," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-41, March.
    3. Arockia E J Ferdin & Matthew Lee Inman & Jia Wei Chook, 2025. "From Linear to Circular: Consumer Perspectives on Breaking Free from Single-Use Plastics in Taiwan," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 3343-3368, August.
    4. Komol Singha & Pradyut Guha & Jyoti Upadhyay, 2026. "Plastic pollution and economic growth: some lessons from Japan," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 4205-4230, February.
    5. Erin Octaviani & Ilyas Masudin & Amelia Khoidir & Dian Palupi Restuputri, 2025. "Material Flow Analysis for Demand Forecasting and Lifetime-Based Inflow in Indonesia’s Plastic Bag Supply Chain," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-27, August.

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