Assessing plastic uses and waste through an environmentally extended SAM-based and structural path analysis: The case of Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Plastic pollution has become a critical environmental and socioeconomic challenge globally, particularly in developing regions with deficient waste management infrastructure. The rapid growth of Côte d'Ivoire's plastic industry, which employs around 200,000 people and contributes over 2% to gross domestic product, has led to a massive increase in plastic consumption and marine litter over the past decade. This study develops an environmentally extended input–output (EE-IO) model based on an original social accounting matrix combined with a structural path analysis (SPA) to assess the annual domestic plastic footprint in Côte d'Ivoire, estimated at 19 kg per capita but standing on a steadily growing trend. This first quantification identifies several key sectors (machinery and equipment, transport, furniture, paper and printing, food industry) contributing significantly to the domestic plastic consumption and waste. Some narrow linkages between the local plastic converters and the agricultural cashew nut sector are also emphasized. On the basis of SPA outcomes, various targeted policy recommendations are suggested and their effects are tested with the EE-IO model, showing the greater effectiveness of trade quotas over a tax policy directed to the key sectors.