Marine plastics and the circular economy: A review of policy frameworks in Mombasa County, Kenya.

Marine plastic pollution poses a pressing global concern, with significant environmental and health ramifications. Traditional waste management methods are insufficient for addressing plastic waste's systemic challenges, necessitating a holistic, governance-focused approach to tackle the underlying drivers. In response, the concept of circular economy (CE) has emerged as a sustainable solution. In Mombasa County, Kenya, the management of marine plastics necessitates a paradigm shift towards CE. With the global acknowledgement of policies as being central to fostering the transition to CE, this study examines the alignment of policy frameworks with CE principles to address marine plastic pollution in Mombasa County, Kenya. The review developed a content analysis framework guided by the three CE principles and 10R strategies of the CE. Utilizing deductive coding, predefined codes guided the analysis. In total, 14 policy documents were analysed using qualitative content analysis and constant comparative analysis. Providing a narrative analysis, discussion was done on how the analysed policies align with the 10R strategies of CE. Findings reveal that while current policies reflect efforts to manage waste, the adoption of CE principles is fragmented, as they do not fully embrace the holistic approach of the CE. Lapses include limited emphasis on proactive design strategies, insufficient guidelines for material circulation and lack of detailed focus on regenerative aspects. The study contributes to accelerating the transition to CE by providing evidence-based policy recommendations for the national and county governments in Kenya to develop an integrated CE plan to enhance coordination, address gaps and foster sustainability in plastic waste management.