This study was conducted in South Africa. South Africa is the first country within the Southern African Development Community to have regulated plastic shopping bags waste through the imposition of both a standard on thickness and a levy. Given this scenario, the Plastic Bags Regulations present an illustrative case for researching complexity, uncertainty and controversies surrounding a new trend in environmental policy making, namely waste product regulation. The thesis focuses on understanding and investigating tensions, debates and responses emerging from the policy process as actors and actor-networks put not only the Plastic Bags Regulations into circulation as focal actant (token) but also other actants and actant-networks as well. To this end, a research question that addressed environmental policies, tensions, debates and responses that informed the development of South Africa s Plastic Bags Regulations was spelt out. The research objectives included the need to: (1) analyse selected international environmental policy processes surrounding plastic shopping bags litter and waste regulation and how these influenced developments in South Africa; (2) identify actors, actants and actor/actant-networks that shaped and were being transformed by South Africa s Plastic Bags Regulations and explain the tensions, debates and responses arising in the policy processes; (3) identify environmental policy outputs and assess outcomes emerging from the formulation and implementation of South Africa s Plastic Bags Regulations; and (4) establish patterns in environmental policy process reforms around South Africa s Plastic Bags Regulations. The language of actors (human), actants (non-human) and actor/actant-networks brings to the fore the aspects of processes and relationships that exist around them. As such, insights from the actor/actant-network theory (AANT) were drawn upon to inform the research. AANT enquiry framework collapses binaries such as nature/society, art/science, structure/agency and global/local historically associated with a particular type of social theory. AANT also denies that purely technical, scientific or social relations are possible (the notion of quasi-objects or token). Data sets were generated following the Plastic Bags Regulations as token actant with time frames ranging from prior to, during and after the formulation of the regulations. Similarly, data analysis drew insights from AANT s four moments of translation namely problematisation, interessement, enrolment and mobilisation, with the intervention theory providing an evaluative perspective that complemented AANT. The findings were that after the promulgation of the first draft of the Plastic Bags Regulations in May 2000, tensions emerged around the nature of regulation (whether command and control preferred by government or self regulation preferred by industry and labour). In this regard the latter group raised concerns about jobs, income and equipment loss as well as the need to have a holistic approach to waste management rather than targeting a single product at a time whilst the former maintained that this would not be so. As such, education, awareness and stringent antilitter penalties were proposed by industry and labour as sustainable responses to the problem of plastic shopping bags waste rather than regulation. These debates continued and resulted in minor amendments to the original regulations as finalised by Government in May 2002. However, industry and labour continued lobbying government resulting in the conclusion of the Plastic Bags Agreement in September 2002 and the ultimate repulsion of the May 2002 regulations in May 2003. As revealed by this research, these responses led to broader social responses and further tensions as demand for plastic shopping bags went down by about 80% although an estimated 1000 jobs were lost and a number of companies lost equipment and business (with some closing down) following the implementation of

In Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism, Professor Melanie Jean Murcott writes from a Global South perspective, drawing on South African context to provide a transformative theoretical framework for adjudication of environmental law disputes which could be more responsive to social, environmental, and climate injustices.

Increased concern about the natural environment has led to an urgent call for organizations to take action toward environmental stewardship. This Second Edition of the groundbreaking Environmental Management: Readings and Cases will inspire readers to find creative solutions to the challenges of maintaining sustainable enterprise while restoring our ecological community. Featuring a highly esteemed group of contributors with content from premier journals —including Harvard Business Review –this comprehensive reader fills a major gap in the teaching of business and the environment. New to the Second Edition: More than two-thirds of the book consists of new material, addressing emerging and timely topics like environmental regulation, green marketing, environmental strategy, and more The book features 11 new cases, providing a platform for lively classroom discussion This edition adds a stronger international component, highlighting the global nature of environmental management Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries! Instructor Resources on CD provide in-depth teaching notes for both the readings and the cases, course development guides including outlines, and helpful charts providing visual links between readings, cases that have been developed by the author, and popular topics. IRCDs are available to qualified instructors only by contacting Customer Care at 1-800-818-SAGE (7243) between 6 am – 5 pm, PT. Intended Audience This reader serves as a stand-alone or supplemental text for upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses such as Environmental Management, Green Marketing, Clean Production, Environmental Policy and Strategy, and other courses in business and environmental studies.

Local government is at the forefront of development. In South Africa the ambitious policy objectives of post-apartheid reconstruction and development hinge on the successful creation of a democratic tier of government close to the people. An entirely new system of 'developmental local government' has thus been introduced. As is the case in many developing countries, the responsibilities of municipalities in South Africa have been extended dramatically, often without adequate resources. Managing municipalities for development therefore requires political will and strategic intervention. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to developmental local government. It includes: the design of the new local government system and the issues posed by decentralisation; an overview of specific challenges of urban and rural municipalities; a discussion of special issues facing local government including poverty, gender and environment; new tools for local government, including budgeting, indicators, municipal partnerships and capacity building.