Waste management policy practices in the EU: does local governance meet the global needs?

Since almost three decades the policy makers on global and the EU regional level are prioritizing and introducing the policy instruments affecting waste management in different ways. Still the missing knowledge is about the effect of policies designed in its interaction with the pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and spillovers on household level. The article aims to explore the waste management policy practices on local level stressing the importance of shared responsibility and informed choices in the common regional and global governance system. From the thematic literature review (134 peer-reviewed relevant academic articles published in English between 2001-2022) the set of different national strategies can be identified in the mature welfare state, e.g., Anglo-Saxon, Nordic- and Conservative welfare regime countries. Some novel, transformative and recent environmental risk regulations are also identified in Southern - and Eastern European countries. The literature study confirms that distributional effect of these governance initiatives is shaped by different local waste policies and practices. This is a macro level small N quantitative comparative case study including one case from typical “country families” or welfare regimes representing Scandinavian (Sweden, Denmark), Central (Austria), Eastern (the Baltics) and Southern country (Spain) group. Comparative policy analysis evolves following instruments: (1) economic (e.g., taxes, pricing structures etc.), (2) nudging, labelling and other public information campaigns, (3) direct local policy regulations, (4) technical standards of appliances and (5) the provision of environmental-related public services (e.g., recycling schemes, public transport etc.). The importance of local grounded knowledge and environmental initiatives shall not be discussed only from global or regional perspective. There is a need for an in-depth-knowledge on waste management policy on intermediate and local level. Our results confirm the introduction of more flexible and proactive regional and local waste management policy regulations and fast adaptation strategies introduced as a policy response to economic and other environmental crisis. On the one hand, these transformative changes can be identified in the policies addressing individual environmentally responsive consumer choices and behavioural change (within PEB framework). On the other, it is more complex waste management system requiring more concrete responses from the local public administration, active and trained professionals, involved different stakeholders etc. Although, this may lead to more concrete institutional response to the EU regional and global environmental agenda in near future.