Governance Fragmentation and Stakeholder Alignment in the Reuse and Recycling Ecosystem
Abstract/Description/Artist Statement
This study contributes to an ongoing research program examining stakeholder governance within the North American reuse and recycling ecosystem (RRE). Focusing on industry discourse, this component analyzes 33 issues (2023–2025) of Resource Recycling, a leading trade publication, encompassing 480 articles and more than 1,300 pages of reporting on regulatory activity, market volatility, technological innovation, and infrastructure development. Using inductive thematic coding, the analysis investigates how heterogeneous stakeholder purposes are represented across policy reporting, market analysis, and industry commentary. Preliminary findings reveal three recurring structural tensions. First, governance fragmentation arises from competing and overlapping federal, state, and international mandates, particularly around Extended Producer Responsibility, producing shifting patterns of stakeholder influence. Second, market narratives oscillate between investment optimism and stagnation, highlighting persistent cost pressures, commodity volatility, and underutilized processing capacity. Third, technological advancement is frequently framed as a mechanism for compliance and efficiency, yet its deployment reflects deeper coordination challenges among producers, recyclers, regulators, and technology providers. Across the dataset, aspirational commitments to circular economy principles coexist with repeated accounts of structural misalignment. These patterns suggest that environmental outcomes within the RRE are shaped less by isolated firm intent and more by the alignment of diverse stakeholders operating under incongruous governance. By analyzing industry discourse, this research provides insight into how organizational purpose is translated, or constrained, within a complex sustainability system.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Kris Irwin
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Email
kirwin@odu.edu
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Department of Management
College/School Affiliation
Strome College of Business
Student Level Group
Graduate/Professional
Presentation Type
Poster
Governance Fragmentation and Stakeholder Alignment in the Reuse and Recycling Ecosystem
This study contributes to an ongoing research program examining stakeholder governance within the North American reuse and recycling ecosystem (RRE). Focusing on industry discourse, this component analyzes 33 issues (2023–2025) of Resource Recycling, a leading trade publication, encompassing 480 articles and more than 1,300 pages of reporting on regulatory activity, market volatility, technological innovation, and infrastructure development. Using inductive thematic coding, the analysis investigates how heterogeneous stakeholder purposes are represented across policy reporting, market analysis, and industry commentary. Preliminary findings reveal three recurring structural tensions. First, governance fragmentation arises from competing and overlapping federal, state, and international mandates, particularly around Extended Producer Responsibility, producing shifting patterns of stakeholder influence. Second, market narratives oscillate between investment optimism and stagnation, highlighting persistent cost pressures, commodity volatility, and underutilized processing capacity. Third, technological advancement is frequently framed as a mechanism for compliance and efficiency, yet its deployment reflects deeper coordination challenges among producers, recyclers, regulators, and technology providers. Across the dataset, aspirational commitments to circular economy principles coexist with repeated accounts of structural misalignment. These patterns suggest that environmental outcomes within the RRE are shaped less by isolated firm intent and more by the alignment of diverse stakeholders operating under incongruous governance. By analyzing industry discourse, this research provides insight into how organizational purpose is translated, or constrained, within a complex sustainability system.