Policy tracker: Three new frameworks developed

From the newsletter

Policymakers across Africa have stepped up efforts to embed circularity and sustainable resource management by introducing three new policies in the first quarter of 2026. The measures set long-term targets for sustainable resource management, waste recovery, and the integration of circular economy principles into national and continental development planning.

• The policies are developed at different governance levels, including a continental framework and a national framework in Benin.

• A standout feature of these policies is the circular sanitation economy, which involves turning wastewater into recovered water, nutrients and energy resources.

More details

• At a continental level, African leaders in February launched the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy, aiming to align water, sanitation, and hygiene systems with the continent’s long-term development agenda. The policy provides a framework for sustainable water management, improved access to safe water, and the integration of circular economy principles across national and regional development plans, supporting resilience, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

• A key priority is the circular sanitation economy, defined as “systems recovering water, nutrients, and energy from wastewater to reduce resource consumption and pollution,” reframing sanitation from a public health obligation into productive infrastructure. The framework seeks to shift sanitation from mere disposal towards resource recovery and value creation, though its ultimate impact will depend on effective implementation.

• In West Africa, Benin launched its Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) in February, targeting a 25 per cent recycling rate by 2035, expanded waste collection, and support for 300 circular enterprises. The plan formalises four ambitions: strengthening economic and climate resilience by reducing dependence on imported raw materials and fostering local processing; building resilient and inclusive value chains; improving resource productivity in strategic sectors; and positioning Benin as a reference for circular economy practices in the French-speaking region.

• CEAP’s five priority sectors include agriculture and forestry, household and similar solid waste, plastics, transport and mobility, and construction, with cross-cutting analysis of structural challenges, innovation opportunities, green jobs, and sustainable competitiveness. The plan is built around 34 objectives, 134 actions, a ten-year implementation timetable, and a monitoring system to ensure transparency and performance, supported by a diversified financing model mobilising public resources, technical and financial partners, the private sector, and regional cooperation.

• Benin’s initiative is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB), through its African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), which has been financing the National Circular Economy Roadmaps project, implemented in partnership with the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA). The project has played a central role in the growing wave of national circular economy plans across the continent, including in Chad and Ethiopia.

• Meanwhile, in East Africa, Kenya began enforcing its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations on 14 March 2026, requiring all importers and producers to obtain EPR compliance certificates before their goods enter the country. Compliance involves registration with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and integration into digital systems such as the National Electronic Single Window System for import clearances, tightening oversight of waste management and supporting circular economy goals in Kenya.

Our take

• The growing regulatory momentum in Africa’s circular economy signals increasing policy maturity across the continent, but the true test will lie in enforcement, financing and institutional follow-through.

• If successfully implemented, Africa’s Water Vision 2063 and Policy could transform sanitation systems into resource-generating infrastructure, driving circularity, resilience, and sustainable development across the continent.