A socio-technical analysis of resource metabolism and factors influencing integrated circular economy approaches in manufacturing industries in Kenya

Bowen, Betzy Jematia

Abstract

Global attention to sustainability is currently focused on resource scarcity and environmental concerns such as climate change. Industries are a form of social system which transforms inputs into outputs to produce economic value; hence they have social and environmental responsibilities to help society reach net zero. The manufacturing sector is an engine of economic growth and contributes to ecological challenges, and most developing countries, including Kenya, are on a path seeking enhanced industrial development. The interplay between manufacturing-driven economic growth and climate change presents critical challenges in the pursuit of sustainable development. The traditional linear model of 'take', 'make' and 'dispose' has dominated industrial and economic development for decades; however, its inherent inefficiencies and unsustainable environmental impacts call for a paradigm shift towards sustainable models. Interest in resource metabolism research in industrial systems is growing as it enables the identification of environmentally related deficiencies in order to redesign industrial ecosystems to be in harmony with nature by closing the production cycles. The existing literature indicates a massive gap for such studies in the Global South.

This thesis addresses this gap by applying mixed-methods case study research design to gain an in-depth understanding of the resource flows of an industrial system with co-located industries in Kenya and identify the challenges of resource management in the sector to address the lack of reliable data. The findings indicate an industrial system not designed with the ideals of sustainability and is largely linear. The industries rely on primary resources mostly imported from outside the system and outputs to nature are not sufficiently fed back into the industrial system to close the production loop. Significant efforts are noted where the companies are making initial progress towards circular innovation, as illustrated by the existence of unregulated and largely low-tech circular economy practices. The existence of weak infrastructure, lack of integrated waste management systems, limited technical, financial, informational and institutional capacities, coupled with progressive policies that are not sufficient to promote a sustainable flow of resources, are identified as critical barriers. The study finds an emerging but promising trend that, if further developed, could yield a positive transition to eco-industrial development in Kenya, confirming the significance of understanding resource flows to be able to design robust and integrated sustainability strategies.

Citation

Bowen, B. J. (2025). A socio-technical analysis of resource metabolism and factors influencing integrated circular economy approaches in manufacturing industries in Kenya. (Thesis). Keele University. https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1283916

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Online Publication Date: Jun 26, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jun 30, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 30, 2025
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1283916
• Award Date: 2025-06