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RESTRUCTURING COMMUNITY IN THE FACE OF FOOD WASTE: NETWORK RESPONSE TO VERMONT'S UNIVERSAL RECYCLING LAW

Author
Hochreiter, Jaclyn
Abstract
Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law (Act 148) created a fresh set of opportunities
as well as challenges for the rural state’s businesses and residences alike. Enacted in
2012, this law was the first to ban statewide landfilling of recyclables and food waste,
and in turn, disrupted status quo, and reconceptualized how Vermonters define ‘waste.’
In response, networks of food system and waste professions have emerged to restructure
their community and waste system. This study explores those networks, and their
horizontal governance structures, to understand their effects on the complex issue of food
waste. Using two main networks, the Food Cycle Coalition (FCC) and the Solid Waste
Implementation Advisory Committee (SWIAC), this study finds that elements of
information exchange and inclusion of diverse perspectives exist that could lead to
positive behavior change. Finally, this study recommends that municipalities adopt multilevel
governance when enacting laws that shift behaviors, and makes a case for planners
to recognize their role in the changing waste landscape.
Date Issued
2016-08-01Subject
FOOD WASTE; COMMUNITY; COOPERATION; STAKEHOLDER; GOVERNANCE
Type
dissertation or thesis