Digital Innovations for a Circular Plastic Economy in Africa

"Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century, requiring innovative and varied solutions to address. Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa, this book brings together interdisciplinary, multisectoral and multi-stakeholder perspectives exploring challenges and opportunities for utilising digital innovations to manage and accelerate the transition to a circular plastic economy (CPE). The book is organised into three sections bringing together discussion of environmental conditions, operational dimensions, and country case studies of digital transformation towards the circular plastic economy. It explores the environment for digitisation in the circular economy, bringing together perspectives from practitioners in academia, innovation, policy, civil society and government agencies. The book also highlights specific country case studies in relation to the development and implementation of different innovative ideas to drive the circular plastic economy across the three sub-Saharan African regions. Finally, the book interrogates the policy dimensions and practitioner perspectives towards a digitally enabled circular plastic economy. Written for a wide range of readers across academia, policy and practice, including researchers, students, SMEs, digital entrepreneurs, NGOs and multilateral agencies, policymakers and public officials, this book offers unique insights into complex, multi-layered issues relating to the production and management of plastic waste and highlights how digital innovations can drive the transition to the circular plastic economy in Africa"--

Introduction / Muyiwa Oyinlola and Oluwaseun Kolade -- Enabling a successful transition to a circular plastic economy in Africa / Sunday Augustine Leonard -- Digital Technologies and the Regime Complex for Plastics in Nigeria / Natalie Beinisch -- From polymers to microplastics: Plastic value chains in Africa / Patrick SchroÌ⁸der and Muyiwa Oyinlola -- Digital innovation ecosystem for the circular plastic economy / Bosun Tijani, Muyiwa Oyinlola and Silifat Okoya -- Utilizing plastic waste to create 3D printed products in Sub-Saharan Africa / Muyiwa Oyinlola, Silifat Okoya and Timothy Whitehead -- Blockchains for circular plastic value chains / Oluwaseun Kolade -- Transitioning to a circular plastic economy in West Africa through digital innovation: Challenges and the way forward / Victor Odumuyiwa and Ifeoluwa Akanmu -- A multistakeholder, multi-sectoral approach to a circular plastic economy in Eastern Africa / Oluwaseun Kolade, Muyiwa Oyinlola and Barry Rawn -- The application of digital technology in the circular plastic economy in Southern Africa: Case studies of waste management start-ups from Namibia and Zambia / Selma Lendelvo, Mecthilde Pinto, Florensa Amadhila, Luze Kloppers, Chifungu Samazaka, Raili Hasheela and John Sifani -- BIG-STREAM: A framework for digitization in Africa's circular plastic economy / Celine Ilo, Muyiwa Oyinlola and Oluwaseun Kolade -- A plastic data exchange platform for Africa's circular plastic economy transition / Olawunmi Ogunde, Muyiwa Oyinlola and Stuart R. Coles -- Enhancing decentralised recycling solutions with digital technologies / Silifat Okoya, Muyiwa Oyinlola, Patrick SchroÌ⁸der, Oluwaseun Kolade and Soroush Abolfathi -- Assessing plastic circular economy policies and the use of digital technology in Africa / Olubunmi Ajala -- Gender and digital innovation in the circular plastic economy in Africa / Kutoma Wakunuma and Selma Lendelvo -- Conclusion: The future of digitisation for the circular plastic economy in Africa / Oluwaseun Kolade and Muyiwa Oyinlola.