Can area managers connect policy and tenants? Implementation and diffusion of a new waste management system in Linköping, Sweden

Abstract

Recycling and reducing household waste are political goals internationally, nationally and locally. In Sweden, households in apartment buildings seem to sort their waste to a lesser extent than households in single-family houses. This paper analyses the challenges of the diffusion of a new waste management system in apartment buildings, and focuses on a municipal housing company and the actions of its area managers. It is argued that area managers can be regarded as street-level bureaucrats who act as ‘collectors’ of tenants’ everyday practices in the studied implementation process. The study is based on interviews, document analysis and observations.

Keywords:

• waste management
• municipal housing company
• area manager
• street-level bureaucrats
• recycling
• implementation

Acknowledgements

This study is part of the research project ‘Energy efficient dwellings – space for everyday life’, financed by the municipal housing company AB Stångåstaden. The author acknowledges helpful comments from the ‘Technology, Everyday Life and Society’ seminar at Tema Technology and Social Change, Linköping University.

Notes

1. There are many different terms used for describing the actors responsible for the apartment buildings, tenants and geographical areas connected to a housing company. The term superintendent often describes actors that are responsible for a specific apartment building where they also live. In this paper, area managers will be used. AMs are not only responsible for a specific apartment building, but rather an entire (or part of a) geographical area. They do not have to live in the area they are responsible for and do not have any discounts on the rent they pay (if they are tenants). In ‘Results’, their roles will be further described.

2. The data presented here is based on a report from SABO, the Swedish Association of Public Housing. The organisation consists of 300 municipal owned housing companies with about 725,000 dwellings. Together, the organisation represents 50% of the rental sector (SABO 2009). The numbers presented do not include data from the private rental sector or from condominiums.

3. From which two areas within the municipality that the proportions have been collected has not been revealed.