ABSTRACT

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.

chapter |10 pages

Introduction

part I|53 pages

Consumption and waste

chapter 1|16 pages

Recycling the home

The constant flow of domestic stuff, emotions and routines

chapter 2|23 pages

The curse of the new

How the accelerating pursuit of the new is driving hyper-consumption

chapter 3|12 pages

Thinking waste sociologically

part II|65 pages

Managing waste

chapter 4|21 pages

Factors affecting development of waste management

Experiences from different cultures

chapter 7|15 pages

Cloth Loop

An attempt to construct an actor-network

part III|53 pages

Socio-cultural views on waste

chapter 8|17 pages

Exploring Food Waste Through the Lens of Social Practice Theories

Some reflections on eating as a compound practice 1

chapter 10|18 pages

Unpacking corporate sustainability

Sustainable communication, waste and the 3Rs in a network society

part IV|55 pages

Preventing waste

chapter 11|12 pages

Upcycling of pre-consumer waste

Opportunities and barriers in the furniture and clothing industries

chapter 12|15 pages

Post-ownership sustainability

chapter 13|11 pages

Supplementing the conventional 3R waste hierarchy

Considering the role of carbon rationing

chapter 14|15 pages

Afterword

The waste that matters