The role of civil waste prevention initiatives in cities : the example of reuse centers and thrift shops ; Le rôle des initiatives civiles de prévention des déchets dans la fabrique de la ville : l'exemple des lieux de réemploi

Open Access

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to study waste produced by households in cities through waste prevention processes. In the context of a strong growth in private consumption and fast replacement of obsolete items, the amount of waste has increased sharply. In these circumstances, sustainable development policies has made the reduction of waste a priority. While nuisances associated with waste tend to shrink but are often accompanied by distance and discredit on the waste territories, local recycle centers (also called reuse centers or thrift shops) are booming. Our initial research focuses on understanding how these places - that adopt an ecological and/or social approach- contribute to modifying the rapport citizens have to their rejects and transform their relationship with the urban and social environment. We also look at the involvement of these recycle centers in the making of a sustainable city. This research is innovating by mobilizing several fields of geography: studies on places, proximity, geography of trade and consumption as well as the citizens' initiatives in urban life. Reuse is seen as the recirculation of waste which takes place in specific "new consumption's" territories. To understand the change in the value of waste in these territories, reuse is analyzed from its aesthetic experience that creates a new relation to waste. The research focuses mainly on the Greater Paris – an urban metropolis – whose results are contrasted with an exploratory work conducted in New York ; L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier la redéfinition du rapport aux rebuts produits par les ménages, dans la ville à travers les procédés de prévention des déchets. Dans un contexte de croissance de la consommation et du remplacement rapide des objets obsolètes, la quantité de rebuts a fortement augmenté. La réduction des déchets est devenue un enjeu prioritaire pour les politiques de développement durable. Alors que la réduction des nuisances liées aux déchets s'accompagne souvent d'une aseptisation des villes, d'une mise à ...