Mapping Existing Local Ecosystem Waste Management Practices in the European Union

Description

The EU Waste Framework Directive (EC 2008) has acknowledged the order for the waste management policies on national level: prevention, preparing for re-use, recycling, energy recovery and disposal. For common goal the stakeholders involved in the process shall align with the pro-environmental behaviour (hereafter PEB) and consumer – orientated behavioural policy interventions. The aim of this article is to map existing knowledge on waste management ecosystem, incl. PEB and consumer – oriented behaviour policy interventions, evolving local strategies in promoting waste management behaviours. The main question of interest is to discover to what extent the waste management policies in their design are targeted on change in PEB and consumer -oriented behaviour on local level? Sub-question: What is the share of responsibility between individual, local, national and the EU level on contributing to the European waste management ecosystem?. The EU, national and local level case study evolves the documentary analysis, thematic content analysis and policy process tracing method. The research dimensions: 1) the provision of information to consumers (informed) choices and information asymmetric; 2) distributional effect of environmental policies on households; 3) shared responsibility on households’ decision making process.. Even thought the PEB is acknowledged on individual level, still the core and missing part is producers' activism. Distributional effect and shared responsibility, e.g., ecological modernization and engagement of citizens in local Agenda 21, identified in some country cases of the EU. Rather strict regulations does purely effect recovery and utilisation rates. Policy flexibility is desirable and needs to be discussed further.. The importance of municipal level governance on waste management shall align with national and global Agenda of SDGs. The Covid-19 pandemic post-effect and energy crisis has lead to behavioural change for sure. However, the increased awareness is somewhere in between need – based behaviour or pressures and real awareness.

Period	29 Mar 2023
Event title	RSU Research week 2023: PLACES
Event type	Conference
Conference number	3
Organiser	Rīga Stradiņš University
Location	Rīga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International