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<p>This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of the informal plastic circular economy (CE) in Accra, Ghana, a rapidly urbanizing city emblematic of sustainability transitions in the Global South. Using the socio-technical systems theory and drawing on a survey of 365 informal CE actors, the study reveals that the sector provides significant economic and environmental benefits through waste collection, sorting, crushing, and recycling, thereby promoting resource recovery and livelihood creation. However, findings indicate persistent challenges, including inadequate government support, limited access to finance, poor infrastructure, and unsafe working conditions. Chi-square analysis further shows that participation in informal CE activities is significantly influenced by gender and education but not by age. The study highlights the critical yet undervalued role of informal actors in Ghana’s waste management system and argues for their formal recognition within national CE frameworks to foster inclusive, sustainable, and socially just circular transitions.</p>

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Sustainability in the margins: opportunities and constraints of informal plastic waste circular economy in the Global South

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月11日

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  • James Kwame Mensah

摘要

This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of the informal plastic circular economy (CE) in Accra, Ghana, a rapidly urbanizing city emblematic of sustainability transitions in the Global South. Using the socio-technical systems theory and drawing on a survey of 365 informal CE actors, the study reveals that the sector provides significant economic and environmental benefits through waste collection, sorting, crushing, and recycling, thereby promoting resource recovery and livelihood creation. However, findings indicate persistent challenges, including inadequate government support, limited access to finance, poor infrastructure, and unsafe working conditions. Chi-square analysis further shows that participation in informal CE activities is significantly influenced by gender and education but not by age. The study highlights the critical yet undervalued role of informal actors in Ghana’s waste management system and argues for their formal recognition within national CE frameworks to foster inclusive, sustainable, and socially just circular transitions.