The politics of recycling?a liberal democratic dilemma?

✍ Scribed by Lundmark, Carina

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 116 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0961-0405
• DOI: 10.1002/eet.315

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Implementation of environmental sustainability, such as waste recycling policies, commonly requires people's active involvement. These ideas substantially challenge both established theoretical conceptions and people's daily habits. In this study, political recycling objectives are explored from two branches of political philosophy with different ideas about the proper relationships between individuals and the state—liberalism and communitarianism. Both perspectives are portrayed in traditional and ‘green’ versions, while Sweden provides empirical illustrations, as a liberal democracy with significant communitarian features. Analyses show that increased freedom in other areas (e.g. in the economic field) is used to justify the restrictions in individual freedom that recycling entails. However, the conflict between environmental responsibilities and individual freedom of action crucial to the theoretical debate has little correspondence as Swedish recycling policy is presently being implemented. One set of environmental norms prevails in official documents at national and local levels, and people are anticipated to behave accordingly. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment