Abstract
Source reduction is ranked by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as the preferred resource management practice; however, current source reduction efforts in the US are overshadowed by other waste management practices. It was theorized that the source of disparity might be (1) unequal implementation priorities on a Federal, state, or local level, or (2) insufficient communication between environmental agencies and stakeholders. A panel of ten Federal, state, and local waste management officials participated in a modified Delphi survey exploring the issues surrounding source reduction policy implementation and communication. The study resulted in a focused discussion of the value of source reduction and the challenges environmental agencies face in implementing source reduction polices. The study concludes that while the value of source reduction is not debated, there are several barriers to implementing these policies in the US, including questions of authority, lack of consistent leadership, implementation cost, and developing effective communications.
Highlights
In the United States (US), Federal, state, and local governments play an integral role in protecting the environment by identifying environmental issues facing their society and developing and implementing policy initiatives to protect human health and the environment
As established by a Congressional mandate, the US Environmental Protection Agency ranks source reduction as the number one preferred resource management practice; current source reduction efforts in the US are overshadowed by other waste management practices
It was theorized that the source of this difference in prioritization might be (1) unequal implementation priorities on a federal, state, or local level, or (2) insufficient communication between environmental agencies and stakeholders
Summary
In the United States (US), Federal, state, and local governments play an integral role in protecting the environment by identifying environmental issues facing their society and developing and implementing policy initiatives to protect human health and the environment. Current source reduction efforts are overshadowed by other management practices (e.g., recycling, recovery, and composting) This disparity between the highly valued principle of source reduction and the often overlooked practice offers a unique opportunity for study as a classic example of preventative versus remediative approaches to environmental governance. This study is based on an understanding of the basic framework of waste management in the US and how federal, state, and local governments manage non-hazardous wastes It builds upon the strategic understanding of how individuals within these governmental units function in order to assist their agencies in achieving stated mission goals. The study assumes a basic understanding of environmental communication and the methods utilized by agencies, interest groups, and individuals to communicate environmental values and practices. The questionnaire asked participants to provide background information on themselves and the waste management office they supported.
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