From City Waste to Zero Waste: Municipal Waste Reduction Campaigns and Social Practices in Kamikatsu and Kyoto City
Regina Bichler
In the 21st century, “Zero Waste” has become a popular motto of municipal waste reduction campaigns around the world. This is not only a contested concept, but also the declared goal of an increasing number of German cities, like Kiel and Munich. Yet although they have elaborated local policy roadmaps for Zero Waste, it is unclear how to reach their targets—especially if citizens are supposed to shoulder the main burden by adapting their consumption and disposal practices. International examples with comparable measures and long-term success remain rare.
The dissertational research project “From City Waste to Zero Waste” explores municipal waste reduction strategies with the help of two case studies from Japan: the early Zero Waste town Kamikatsu, established already in 2003, and the touristic destination Kyoto City, which ranks among the Japanese cities with the lowest waste emissions. With the framework of practice theory, the project analyzes from a sociological perspective how these municipalities that succeeded in long-term waste reduction have transformed their residents’ social practices. Furthermore, it aims to identify the local as well as structural difficulties that people and organisations committed to waste reduction experienced in their anti-waste activities.
