Description
The accelerated pace of global consumption over the past decades has meant that governments across the world are now faced with significant challenges in dealing with the dramatically increased volume of waste.
While research on waste management has previously focused on finding technological solutions to the problem, this book uniquely examines the social and cultural views of waste, shedding new light on the topic by emphasising the consumer perspective throughout. Drawing on a wide variety of disciplines including environmental, economic, social and cultural theories, the book presents philosophical reflections, practical examples and potential solutions to the problem of increasing waste. It analyses and compares case studies from countries such as Sweden, Japan, the USA, India, Nigeria and Qatar, bringing out valuable insights for the international community and generating a critical discussion on how we can move towards a more sustainable society.
This book will be of great interest to post-graduate students and researchers in environmental policy, waste management, social marketing and consumer behaviour, as well as policymakers and practitioners in consumer issues and business.
Table of Contents
Introduction Karin M. Ekström Part 1: Consumption and Waste 1. Recycling the Home: the Constant Flow of Domestic Stuff, Emotions and Routines Orvar Löfgren 2. The Curse of the New: How the Accelerating Pursuit of the New is Driving Hyper-Consumption Colin Campbell 3. Thinking Waste Sociologically Paul Hewer Part 2: Managing Waste 4. Factors Affecting Development of Waste Management: Experiences from Different Cultures Mohammad Taherzadeh and Karthik Rajendran 5. Waste Prevention Action Nets Hervé Corvellec and Barbara Czarniawska 6. Curbside Cartographies in an Urban Food-Waste Composting Program John W. Schouten, Diane M. Martin and Jack S. Tillotson 7. Cloth Loop: An Attempt to Construct an Actor-Network Eva Gustafsson, Daniel Hjelmgren and Barbara Czarniawska Part 3: Socio-Cultural Views on Waste 8. Exploring Food Waste Through the Lens of Social Practice Theories: Some Reflections on Eating as a Compound Practice Dale Southerton and Luke Yates 9. Environmental Consumer Socialization Among Generation Swing and Y: A Study of Clothing Consumption Karin M. Ekström, Daniel Hjelmgren and Nicklas Salomonson 10. Unpacking Corporate Sustainability: Sustainable Communication, Waste and the 3Rs in a Network Society Pierre McDonagh and Andrea Prothero Part 4: Preventing Waste 11. Upcycling of Pre-Consumer Waste: Opportunities and Barriers in the Furniture and Clothing Industries Daniel Hjelmgren, Nicklas Salomonson and Karin M. Ekström 12. Post-Ownership Sustainability Russell Belk 13. Supplementing the Conventional 3R Waste Hierarchy: Considering the Role of Carbon Rationing Maurie J. Cohen 14. Afterword Richard Wilk
