The existing solid waste management principles are increasingly being replaced with discussions on circular economy (CE) principles in contemporary deliberations on solid waste handling. This shift is supported by the global adoption of the concept of sustainable development. The CE offers better prospects to solid waste management and has been implemented successfully in its full theory, practice, and policies in some developed locations of the world. The socio-economic disadvantages, insufficient expert knowledge and a lack of information have hindered its appropriateness and implementation in low and middle-income countries. Hence, the current research study examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing the circularity principle at the industrial sector level of a typical developing economy—Nigeria. Four different industries were selected for this case study—telecommunications, water packaging, pulp and paper and the food industry. These industries represent the major waste streams in an urban solid waste mix (waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), plastic, paper and organic). This study discovered several barriers and existing pre-conditions in place that could either foster or militate against the smooth and successful application of a CE model as a simple modification of the generic model. This study also discussed future directions on the implementation of the model.

Healthcare waste management has become an important aspect of medical care delivery globally. This is simply because of its hazardous and infectious components that have greater potential for adverse health and environmental impacts. As such, certain guidelines and procedures have been developed by international aid agencies and conventions to guide national governments and local administrations in formulating policies and practices for effective healthcare waste management. In this work, we reviewed the existing literature to appraise the status of healthcare waste management practices in Nigeria. This included generation, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal. The current work further reviewed the other essential elements of healthcare waste management, such as policy landscapes, training, awareness, and waste characterization, and discusses challenges and opportunities for effective healthcare waste management in Nigeria. Among the challenges are poor funding, inadequate training, ineffective legislature, and absence of data. However, there are available low-cost technologies that are suitable for the treatment of waste in a developing country like Nigeria. This technology variant offers an opportunity for a circular economy as it can simultaneously achieve energy production, waste management, and other socioeconomic advantages.

The operations that underpin efficient municipal solid waste management delivery require economic funds. These funds are needed for both capital and recurrent expenditures. Municipalities (local governments) often being the main entities responsible for waste management in cities across the globe, have implemented several funding methods. Yet not all attempts at raising funds for waste management operations have been successful due to the existence of barriers preventing their sustainability in the long term. As such, municipal authorities and decision‐makers are frequently confronted with the dilemma of understanding different methods of financing waste management operations and making the appropriate choices among the available options for maximum operational flexibility. Based on locations, convenience, requirements, technical possibilities, institutional arrangement, and regulatory framework, several waste management financing methods have been adopted and applied with varying degrees of outcomes. However, this information is fragmented and scattered both in the academic and grey literature. In this work, we first collate and categorize the operating procedures of various municipal solid waste management finance strategies in a typology. We base our actions on several policy frameworks and areas of focus for waste management finance that have been implemented in many nations. Second, we provide a classification system by combining several strands of information on reported combinations of waste finance strategies, possibilities, and restrictions in the context of urban waste management. Finally, we discuss other essential elements related to financial sustainability and the implications on the circular economy. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive review of the pros and cons of various municipal solid waste management financing methods.

This study is motivated by the need to understand and proffer sustainable circular economy solutions to the persistent challenges associated with plastic waste management in Nigeria. Despite the emerging awareness and increased number of studies conducted on plastic and plastic products in Nigeria, the challenges and opportunities associated with their production, consumption, and post-consumption management are still poorly understood. Besides the large quantity of plastic and plastic products produced locally in Nigeria, a substantial quantity of these products in various forms and polymer types also comes into the country through importation. This results in a high consumption rate and, by extension, a huge volume of plastic waste generated daily exceeding the capacity and ability of the authorities to manage. In this work, we reviewed the available literature to analyze the status of the production, importation, consumption, and post-consumption management of plastic waste in Nigeria. It is estimated that out of 27.3 million tonnes of municipal solid waste currently generated in Nigeria’s urban cities per annum about 11.2 million tonnes is collected, of which about 1.1 million tonnes is plastics. It is further projected that by 2040, about 40.5 million tonnes of municipal solid waste will be generated, and only about 1.6 million tonnes of the plastic component will be collected for disposal. Based on the outcome of the analysis, the current study further suggested how adopting circular economy principles can help mitigate the impact of plastic waste on Nigerian society.