<![CDATA[East Java faces a critical plastic waste management crisis, generating over 15,700 tons of waste daily, yet its primary legal instrument — East Java Provincial Regulation No. 9 of 2022 — imposes only administrative sanctions and does not systematically incorporate circular economy principles. This regulatory gap between national policy mandates under Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management, Government Regulation No. 81 of 2012, Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2018 on Marine Debris Management, and the National Long-Term Development Plan 2025–2045 (RPJPN) under Law No. 59 of 2024 and the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2025–2029 (RPJMN) under Presidential Regulation No. 12 of 2025 — and provincial enforcement capacity constitutes the core legal problem addressed in this study. Employing a doctrinal legal research approach through legislative, conceptual, and comparative analysis—supported by empirical data on waste generation and recycling infrastructure—this study examines the adequacy of existing regulations and proposes a circular economy-based legal reform framework. From a contemporary Islamic law perspective, the mismanagement of plastic waste contradicts the maqāṣid al-sharī'ah imperative of environmental preservation (ḥifẓ al-bī'ah). The study finds that current regulations suffer from enforcement weaknesses, absence of criminal sanctions, lack of legal recognition for the informal waste sector, and insufficient vertical synchronization between national and regional frameworks. This study contributes a structured regulatory gap analysis and a reform model encompassing extended producer responsibility, fiscal incentives, and institutional restructuring—offering a replicable governance framework toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly zero waste and sustainable consumption.]]>
