Multilevel governance in shared management of post-consumer packaging reverse logistics: A case study in Ribeirão Pires - SP
The National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) establishes the obligation of reverse logistics for various types of solid waste by public and private actors. In summary, this policy entails the environmentally adequate disposal of a mass equivalent to post-consumer packaging waste placed in the environment by those responsible for its generation for recycling or reuse, thus enabling the reintegration of these materials into the production process. The guidelines of the PNRS have been implemented through several policy instruments managed by various public, private, and third-sector actors within a complex system aimed at shared management of packaging materials subject to reverse logistics. Brazilian Federative Units are responsible for regulating instruments to establish instructions, rules, and goals, as well as monitoring the reverse logistics systems for packaging materials established by the private sector in municipalities. This context of interaction among institutions, rules, and diverse actors has raised questions about the main determinants of municipal participation in negotiations regarding the implementation of waste policies. Drawing on the theoretical framework of multi-level governance of public policies, chosen due to the participation of multiple actors proposed in the formulation and negotiation of public policy, this study conducted a literature review, documentary analysis, and interviews with the general objective of identifying and mapping the main public, private, and third-sector actors involved in the governance structure for the management and implementation of actions related to reverse logistics and selective collection of post-consumer packaging in the municipality of Ribeirão Pires, São Paulo. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the means and alternatives of negotiations and political influence among these actors. To achieve this, the study also examined the responsibilities, actions, and relationships among the organizations mapped, linking some concepts and theories of multi-level governance with the observed phenomena, especially those related to shared responsibility for the product life cycle. According to the PNRS, shared responsibilities should ensure the implementation of public policies regulating municipal solid waste management, the responsibilities of other instances of the public sector, and the obligations of the private sector, represented by manufacturers of consumer goods.