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The European Waste Hierarchy: From the Sociomateriality of Waste to a Politics of Consumption

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  • Johan Hultman
  • Hervé Corvellec

Abstract

Municipal solid waste is a central concern for environmental policy, and the sociomateriality of waste—the ways in which waste is socially defined and dealt with—is an important issue for sustainability. We show how applying the European Union's waste policy through the European Waste Hierarchy (EWH) affects the sociomateriality of waste. The EWH ranks the desirability of different waste-management approaches according to their environmental impact. We investigate how the EWH has been acknowledged and interpreted in five different organizational contexts with relevance for Swedish waste management: EU environmental policy, the Swedish EPA, two municipal waste-management companies, and the trade organization Swedish Waste Management which represents the interests of municipal bodies involved with waste. In addition to preventing the production of waste, the EWH aims to disassemble, circulate, and reintroduce as much material as possible into production processes. We show how these aims shape paradoxical relationships between economy and society on the one hand, and environment and nature on the other, and open the way for a discussion of a politics of consumption through material management.

Suggested Citation

  • Johan Hultman & Hervé Corvellec, 2012. "The European Waste Hierarchy: From the Sociomateriality of Waste to a Politics of Consumption," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(10), pages 2413-2427, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:44:y:2012:i:10:p:2413-2427
    DOI: 10.1068/a44668
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    3. Erika Machacek & Jessika Luth Richter & Ruth Lane, 2017. "Governance and Risk–Value Constructions in Closing Loops of Rare Earth Elements in Global Value Chains," Resources, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-25, October.
    4. Alaeddin Koska & Mehri Banu Erdem, 2023. "Performance Analysis of Manufacturing Waste Using SWARA and VIKOR Methods: Evaluation of Turkey within the Scope of the Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-17, August.
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    7. Patrik Zapata & María José Zapata Campos, 2019. "Cities, institutional entrepreneurship and the emergence of new environmental policies: The organizing of waste prevention in the City of Gothenburg, Sweden," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(2), pages 339-359, March.
    8. Rachel Greer & Timo Wirth & Derk Loorbach, 2023. "The Circular Decision-Making Tree: an Operational Framework," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    9. Eda Puntarić & Lato Pezo & Željka Zgorelec & Jerko Gunjača & Dajana Kučić Grgić & Neven Voća, 2022. "Prediction of the Production of Separated Municipal Solid Waste by Artificial Neural Networks in Croatia and the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-13, August.
    10. Les Levidow & Paul Upham, 2017. "Socio-technical change linking expectations and representations: Innovating thermal treatment of municipal solid waste," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(2), pages 211-224.
    11. Munten, Pauline & Vanhamme, Joëlle, 2023. "To reduce waste, have it repaired! The quality signaling effect of product repairability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    12. Oliver Klein & Stefan Nier & Christine Tamásy, 2022. "Towards a Circular Bioeconomy? Pathways and Spatialities of Agri‐Food Waste Valorisation," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 113(2), pages 194-210, April.
    13. Katherine Mansilla-Obando & Fabiola Jeldes-Delgado & Nataly Guiñez-Cabrera, 2022. "Circular Economy Strategies with Social Implications: Findings from a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
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