The Implementation and Communication of Source Reduction Policy and Initiatives by United States Federal, State, and Local Environmental Agencies

Source reduction is ranked by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as the preferred resource management practice; however, current source reduction efforts in the US are overshadowed by other waste management practices. It was theorized that the source of disparity might be (1) unequal implementation priorities on a Federal, state, or local level, or (2) insufficient communication between environmental agencies and stakeholders. A panel of ten Federal, state, and local waste management officials participated in a modified Delphi survey exploring the issues surrounding source reduction policy implementation and communication. The study resulted in a focused discussion of the value of source reduction and the challenges environmental agencies face in implementing source reduction polices. The study concludes that while the value of source reduction is not debated, there are several barriers to implementing these policies in the US, including questions of authority, lack of consistent leadership, implementation cost, and developing effective communications.