Circular Economy Framework for Plastic Waste Management: A Case Study from Coastal Hotels in Zanzibar

Aziza Abdulkadir (), Biubwa Ally, Arne Remmen, Stig Hirsbak and Fredrick Salukele
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Aziza Abdulkadir: Department of Environmental Science and Management, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam 35176, Tanzania
Biubwa Ally: Department of Environmental Science and Management, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam 35176, Tanzania
Arne Remmen: Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg University, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
Stig Hirsbak: Department of Sustainability and Planning, Aalborg University, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
Fredrick Salukele: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam 35176, Tanzania

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Tourism-driven growth in Zanzibar has intensified solid waste generation, creating critical environmental and resource management challenges for the hotel sector. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of the volume, composition, and management of solid waste in Zanzibar’s hotels, establishing a quantitative basis for evidence-based sustainable practices beyond prior research on food waste. Ten hotels were examined through direct waste sampling, structured interviews, and field observations. Results show that hotels generate high levels of unsorted waste (2.45 kg/guest/day), with plastics posing major challenges under the prevailing linear disposal system. Findings reveal that waste patterns depend primarily on management, service, and collection practices, with no significant differences across hotel types or sizes. While the assessment covered the entire waste stream, a tailored circular economy framework is proposed for plastic waste, given its significant contribution to environmental pollution and ecological impact, providing a practical, structured guide for sustainable interventions across hotel operations. Achieving these outcomes requires collaboration, institutional support, and capacity building. By embedding waste audits, reduction strategies, and circular innovations into hotel operations, this framework charts a forward-looking pathway for coastal destinations to transform waste challenges into opportunities, promoting sustainable tourism, resource-use efficiency, and the transition toward a circular economy.

Keywords: tourists’ hotel; waste management; circular economy; waste measurement; sustainable practices; hotel waste; Zanzibar (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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