Unraveling the Web of Ecopolitics: Applying ANT to Waste Management Research in Frontline Kharkiv

Abstract

The article analyses the possibilities of applying actor-network theory (ANT) to food waste management practices and techniques and waste management policies in Kharkiv.  The article presents the results of the Fusilli grant project ‘Promoting the transformation of the urban food system through the introduction of innovative living laboratories’, which was carried out using such empirical sociological research methods as expert interviews, desk research, and a questionnaire survey of Kharkiv residents. Particular attention is paid to the complexity and challenges of waste management policy in extreme situations, in particular in war, when the interaction of people and things is extremely dynamic. It is argued that martial law creates unique obstacles to waste sorting and recycling practices, affecting the behaviour of citizens and the material and technical infrastructure required for effective waste management. Based on the main tenets of ANT as a theoretical and methodological framework, the article analyses the various actors involved in the waste management network of frontline Kharkiv, including city residents, businesses and waste processing enterprises, as well as the items necessary for waste collection and removal, such as garbage cans or trucks. It is demonstrated how these elements of the urban system form a network of interdependent relationships that affect both the efficiency of the waste sorting process and the environmental policy in Kharkiv in general. It is noted that the study revealed a rather significant gap between environmental awareness and the practical behaviour of Kharkiv residents when sorting waste. It is emphasised that, in general, citizens recognise the importance of proper waste management, but the infrastructure necessary to support such practices (specialised containers and recycling points) is underdeveloped. The impact of the war on the exacerbation of the problem with the logistical support of the municipal waste management system is determined. It is concluded that the actor-network theory provides an adequate tool for analysing the relationship between the subjects and objects of waste management. The need to improve the infrastructure, legal framework and public awareness of this issue is emphasised in order to develop and support sustainable waste management policies, in particular in war-affected cities such as Kharkiv.