Published Nov 26 2019

'What Happens Next?': The Mess We're In – How Do We Start Tackling Waste?

Susan
Carland
Academic, author and social commentator
Mark boulet
Research Fellow with BehaviourWorks Australia, MSDI
Ruth lane
Senior Lecturer, Human Geography in the School of Social Sciences
Stefan kaufman
Researcher at BehaviourWorks
Kim borg
Research Officer, BehaviourWorks Australia
Fiona newton
Associate Professor of Marketing

Environmental issues have become a focal point for many Australians in recent years. Monash University’s podcast, What Happens Next?, concludes its series on the global waste crisis by shedding light on the shifting landscape of priorities, with environmental challenges now at the forefront of national concerns.

Recent surveys reveal a significant surge in public awareness and interest in addressing climate change and environmental degradation. Reports indicate a drastic increase in the number of individuals ranking environmental issues as their top concern, surpassing even healthcare, cost of living and the economy.

The urgency surrounding environmental issues has been further amplified by catastrophic events, such as 2019’s devastating bushfires, which starkly highlighted the realities of climate change. This heightened awareness has led to movements like the school climate strikes, demonstrating the public's demand for urgent action.

However, the enormity of the problem can often feel overwhelming for individuals. Today’s podcast episode outlines actionable steps for everyday people to contribute positively. Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) experts Dr Kim Borg and Dr Mark Boulet emphasise the importance of waste hierarchy – avoidance, reuse, recycling – in addressing plastic and food waste.

MSDI’s Dr Ruth Lane delves into the societal and systemic barriers hindering individual action. She highlights the role of governments and industries in enabling change, urging for collective efforts and policy changes to drive systemic transformations.

Read more: Households and the challenge of low-waste living

Monash Business School’s Fiona Newton, Associate Professor of Marketing, emphasises the need for individuals to engage with corporations and policymakers, urging for collective action through writing letters, signing petitions and engaging in constructive dialogue to influence systems that constrain behavioural change.

Finally, Dr Stefan Kaufman, also part of MSDI, acknowledges that not everyone may fit the mould of a traditional activist, but underscores the importance of various roles in effecting change. Whether as an activist, supporter or conscious consumer, each of us can contribute to the collective efforts towards sustainability.

While the challenges are complex and multifaceted, we can all find our place in the model of change, advocating for environmental sustainability and a reduction in global waste.

“If you’re clear about what you're trying to achieve, believe that you're trying to do the right thing, but it's well beyond your personal resources and capacity to do it, it’s time to get organised and talk to other people, and try and influence some of those actors and systems that constrain that behaviour.” - Dr Stefan Kaufman

 

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In this series

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About the Authors

  • Susan carland

    Director, Bachelor of Global Studies, and Lecturer, School of Language, Literature, Cultures and Linguistics

    Susan's research and teaching specialties focus on gender, sociology, contemporary Australia, terrorism, and Islam in the modern world. Susan hosted the “Assumptions” series on ABC’s Radio National, and was named one of the 20 Most Influential Australian Female Voices in 2012 by The Age.

  • Mark boulet

    Research Fellow with BehaviourWorks Australia, MSDI

    Mark’s research interests lie in the area of environmental sustainability, behaviour change and education. He has worked on a range of projects involving the identification and design of behavioural change interventions to tackle issues such as food waste, noise pollution, sustainable transport, stormwater pollution and wildlife management.

  • Ruth lane

    Senior Lecturer, Human Geography in the School of Social Sciences

    Senior Lecturer, Human Geography in the School of Social Sciences

  • Stefan kaufman

    Researcher at BehaviourWorks

    Stefan is a researcher at BehaviourWorks, part of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. He has used his interest and expertise in applied social and behavioural science to help organisations be more effective and reflective in what they do. His 17 years’ experience in social research and pro-environmental behaviour change includes transport, green office programs, climate and health risk communication, energy and improved business environmental performance.

  • Kim borg

    Research Officer, BehaviourWorks Australia

    Kim’s research interests include the impact of human behaviour on the natural world, road safety, health, wellbeing and the environment. Prior to joining BehaviourWorks, she worked with a number of large organisations and departments such as Australia Post, DHHS, WorkSafe Victoria and TAC. She's also played an active role in designing and testing best-practice methods for survey data collection. She's recently started a behaviour change PhD via the Monash Graduate Research Industry Partnership (GRIP) program.

  • Fiona newton

    Associate Professor of Marketing

    Fiona is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Her research is around influencing behaviour and the drivers behind decision-making in consumers. She is currently working on a project with a major supermarket on healthy eating.

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