Inclusivity as a Property of Waste Management

Abstract

This article explores inclusivity as a core feature of environmental governance design, using waste management in Romania as a case study. Although the European Union has developed an extensive waste policy framework, compliance remains uneven across member states. Romania’s repeated infringement procedures are often explained by weak administration or low environmental awareness. This article offers a different interpretation. Drawing on constructivist theory, it argues that non-compliance can result from governance models that overlook everyday differences in capacity, access, and infrastructure. When such assumptions are imposed on diverse contexts, exclusion becomes a structural outcome. The article contrasts these failures with the relative success of Romania’s deposit–return system (SGR) for beverage packaging. By embedding participation into routine practices and attaching a direct economic incentive to recycling, the SGR system has enabled broad engagement, including by informal and marginalized actors. The findings suggest that inclusivity is best achieved through governance design that lowers participation barriers, rather than through enforcement or awareness-raising alone.