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  3. The treadmill of solid waste management : a tale of two eastern Washington cities
Title

The treadmill of solid waste management : a tale of two eastern Washington cities

    Item Description
    Limited Access
    The author(s) chose to restrict access to this thesis to current Whitman students, faculty, and staff. Please log in to view it.
    Linked Agent
    Creator (cre): Schwartz, Eliana Tamar Maas
    Advisor (adv): Cordner, Alissa
    Department (dpt): Whitman College. Sociology - Environmental Studies
    Date
    May 10, 2016
    Graduation Year
    2016
    Abstract

    Today’s society generates massive quantities of solid waste. The programs that city, county, and state governments adopt to manage this waste reflect broader priorities. Recycling, specifically, has garnered support as an "environmentally friendly" solid waste management program. Are cities that recycle acting upon environmental concern or are there other factors involved? In this research, I investigate the environmental, economic, political, and social factors that lead municipal governments to implement and modify curbside recycling programs in Ellensburg and Walla Walla, Washington. I utilize qualitative data collected through interviews with local waste management officials and content analysis of Solid Waste Management Plans. In both cities, I find that political mandates led to the implementation of curbside recycling but economic priorities dominated all future decision-making processes. These results are evidence of the pervasiveness of capitalist values in society. Ultimately, I argue that solid waste management is driven by a capitalist agenda that reflects the prioritization of economic profit over environmental sustainability.

    Subject
    Litter (Trash) -- Waste
    Waste (Economics) -- United States
    Recycling (Waste) -- Environmental aspects
    Recycling (Waste) -- Government policy -- Washington (State)
    Environmental ethics -- United States
    Containers -- Recycling
    Recycling (Waste) -- Law and legislation
    Capitalism -- Environmental aspects
    City and town life -- Environmental aspects
    Environmental sustainability -- Capitalism
    Capitalism -- Social aspects
    Social sciences
    Environmental sciences
    Academic theses
    Whitman College 2016 -- Dissertation collection -- Sociology-Environmental Studies
    Geographic Subject
    United States
    Washington (State)
    Walla Walla (Wash.)
    Ellensburg (Wash.)
    Genre
    Theses
    Extent
    98 pages
    Permanent URL
    http://works.whitman.edu/201608101265
    Rights
    http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
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