Work

Waste Warriors: The Fight for Waste Justice and Participatory Rights in the City

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cities produce mountains of waste daily. Yet too often waste is poorly governed, and becomes a climate, public health, and environmental policy problem. This article investigates how effective civil society pressure can be in achieving sustainable waste policies in densely populated cities. The paper draws on over 50 interviews to illustrate how following legacies of authoritarian rule in the waste sector, activists in Argentina recast waste as a vehicle for exercising participatory rights that undergird urban democracy. Local activists leveraged national and transnational networks to participate in a global struggle for waste justice. Battles for equitable and participatory waste management are influencing waste policy at multiple scales and effectively recasting waste as a collective, public problem, even as waste management continues to be a pressing urban governance challenge.

Source: Urban Affairs Review

DOI: 10.1177/10780874261443450

Author: Veronica Herrera

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Waste Management and Recycling

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650