Understanding the mechanism of food waste management by using stakeholder analysis and social network model: An industrial ecology perspective

Household food waste accounts for the largest fraction of municipal solid waste and becomes an emerging issue in the biogeochemical cycle of urban ecosystem. Multiple stakeholders with varied characteristics are involved in the food waste management; moreover, they can throw great impacts on the material flow of urban waste, in an industrial ecology perspective. However, the internal mechanism of food waste recycling and composting, regarding the behavior and interaction of different stakeholders, is not clear in previous studies. In this research, recycling and composting potential of household food waste is studied by applying the methodology of stakeholder analysis and social network model. The interest, attitude, power and knowledge of different stakeholders and their social networks were examined by interviews, with the studied case of Beijing, China. Result shows the significant difference of multiple stakeholders' properties. The governmental department of municipal solid waste management has the highest power and maximum interest on food waste recycling, whereas the key players (both high power and maximum interest) located in the midstream and downstream of food waste recycling (utilization of compost) are lacking. In addition, the stakeholders, who easily collect accurate information on food waste recycling, are also the ones most willing to share the knowledge. However, the knowledge and information of most stakeholders are insufficient and inaccurate. The density, node and centrality of the social networks on food waste recycling and composting indicate that here were inefficient connection or disjoint between downstream stakeholders and up/midstream stakeholders, however the some key nodes, e.g. composting utilization stakeholders (fertilizer plants) and municipal solid waste management service companies, could contribute more to bridge the social networks of food waste management. Using the tools of stakeholder analysis and social network models can help in understanding the internal mechanism and the complexity of the material flows of urban ecosystem.