Exploring Citizens' Zero-Waste Journeys Through Practice Theory: Empirical Investigation and Public Policy Implications.

This article examines how citizens implement zero-waste practices and the implications for public policy by applying practice theory to data from 24 participants in a local zero-waste program in Annecy, France. Zero waste, defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance as the conservation of resources through responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery without harmful discharges, is approached here as a system of routinized behaviors embedded in social and material contexts. The study identifies a zero-waste journey comprising four phases: questioning existing waste-producing practices, adopting initial zero-waste practices and bundles of related behaviors, diffusion into broader constellations of interrelated practices, and ongoing reconfiguration including possible abandonment of some practices. Findings highlight that successful zero-waste adoption depends on the alignment of meanings, competences, and material arrangements within and among practices, and that synergistic relationships among practices facilitate their stabilization and growth. The authors suggest that public policies should move beyond individual responsibilization to support citizens' zero-waste journeys by targeting change points, fostering bundles of practices, providing long-term support, and using constellations of practices as diagnostic tools. These insights also have broader relevance for sustainable public policy interventions addressing routinized behaviors in areas such as energy, water, and transport consumption.