Humanity, (bio)diversity and sustainability: systemic answers to productive challenges in environmental complexity
This research project aims to examine the issue of waste management in the light of institutional economics and the feminist theoretical framework of ‘care’, an ethical and political paradigm that emerged in academic feminist debates in the second half of the twentieth century.
Waste requires collective governance and sustainable policies to mitigate its impact on society and the environment although it does not fit either with the definition of commons nor of collective goods. Unlike collective goods, which provide shared benefits (such as clean air or public security), waste is generally seen as a challenge to be managed rather than a resource to be enjoyed. However, in some cases, waste can take on the characteristics of commons—as a negative externality, for instance, when it is improperly disposed of in public spaces, leading to environmental degradation (tragedy of the commons). However, certain types of waste, such as recyclable materials or organic waste used for composting, can also be seen as a shared resource within circular economy models. Whether considered a mismanaged common resource or a public bad, waste requires collective governance and sustainable policies to mitigate its impact on society and the environment.
The project analyses whether the ethical-political framework of care can function as a useful philosophical tool for reflecting on individual and collective responsibilities in waste management.