Virtuous circles: Valuations of plastic recycling in Johannesburg’s inner city

Imaginings of the circular economy promise to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency by ensuring that materials are reused, recycled or repurposed in a closed-loop system resulting, ideally, in 'zero waste'. Drawing on ethnographic research, in this article we analyze the valuation of plastic and food waste within Johannesburg's inner city, and the moral and material significance attributed to them by various stakeholders, including plastic recyclers, non-profit organizations, property developers and municipal workers. We question the practice of requiring individuals living in extreme precarity to earn food through plastic waste collection, the implications of charging for donated surplus food, the fate of unrecyclable plastic, urban gentrification, and gendered and migrant experiences. Focusing on a community-based program where individuals and families exchange plastic credits for food, we examine political, economic, and moral complexities while critically evaluating the narratives of zero waste and circular economy. We introduce the concept of "social plastic" to highlight how plastic and food recycling are integrated into political and moral agendas in Johannesburg, shaping the greenwashing and social washing practices of different actors.