The paper explores the initiatives and pathways toward circular plastics in the GCC, responding to the ESG objectives through an in-depth analysis of the current state of plastic waste management and the ESG priorities. Several key findings emerged, and the best option for plastic waste management is to prioritize environmental sustainability, minimize negative impacts on public health, and be economically feasible.
The paper compares the different plastic waste management techniques implemented or explored in the GCC, including landfilling, recycling(chemical and mechanical), incineration, and waste-to-energy, as well as the potential of an effective plastic waste management strategy to the economy of the GCC countries and the action steps that can be taken for activating plastics circularity to improve efficiency and align with the broader ESG scheme.