Solid waste recycling in the Netherlands: ethnography of the circular economy

Abstract

The theme of this article is the recycling of solid waste as a dynamic process for the circular economy. We approach classic and recent studies that consider the contradictions in the industrial and so-called modern world regarding the exhaustion of abusive consumption practices to the environment. We present an ethnographic study developed in the Netherlands, focusing on a case study in Zaandam in 2019 and a study with recycling companies in 2021. In our ethnography with companies, we started with questions about the business logic of these industries, the origin of their materials, and the destination of their products. We also covered how residents of the Netherlands recycle and how they perceive recycling policies.