Waste Management and Circular Economy Strategies in South African Municipalities 2003

This paper examines waste management strategies in South African municipalities within the context of a circular economy framework. A mixed-methods approach combining literature review, expert interviews, and case studies from ten randomly selected municipalities was employed to assess current waste management strategies and their effectiveness in promoting a circular economy. In the reviewed municipal waste management plans, there is a notable variation in the adoption of recycling initiatives (proportion: 30% - 85%) across different municipalities, with some implementing comprehensive recycling programmes that include e-waste and organic waste streams. The findings suggest that while many municipalities have recognised the importance of circular economy principles, significant variations exist in their implementation strategies. This variation is influenced by factors such as financial resources and support from national policies. Municipalities are recommended to adopt more consistent recycling programmes across different waste streams to enhance resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.