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Title Responsibility and innovation for low waste and circular economy transitions: what roles for households?
ID_Doc 2658
Authors Lane, R; Kronsell, A; Reynolds, D; Raven, R; Mannich, C
Title Responsibility and innovation for low waste and circular economy transitions: what roles for households?
Year 2023
Published
DOI 10.1080/19460171.2023.2281603
Abstract The need for waste policy to embrace CE principles through measures to avoid waste generation and improve recycling rates can be understood within the broader context of sustainability transitions. We analyze three Australian waste policies to understand how households are framed as framing policy actors. Using a governance rationalities framework inspired by Hajer (2005) and Dryzek's (2013) work on environmental governance, we identified four discursive structures, i.e. four different problem frames with suggested solutions, measures and responsibilities. These problem frames reveal an expanding role for government and industry in waste management, alongside a more passive role for households. While anticipating that households will undertake more sorting and will reduce the amount of waste they generate, the policies lack a coherent conceptualization of the role of households as actors in circular economy transitions in Australia. Our analysis highlights and helps to understand the discrepancy between high-level CE and zero-waste policy ambitions and their implementation in practice. We conclude with suggestions on how waste policy could benefit from deliberative approaches that engage with agency for social innovation and transformation in norms and practices at the household scale.
Author Keywords Waste; circular economy; transition; households; responsibility; rationalities
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:001101768200001
WoS Category Political Science; Public Administration
Research Area Government & Law; Public Administration
PDF https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2023.2281603
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