Abstract

Waste management systems have always been considered complex. Scholars have studied waste management mostly from a macro perspective for a long time, considering waste management policies as a fraction of this complex system. This study presents the causal variables and feedback relationships related to waste management from the inside of the policy, using the macroscopic ideas of Environment-Based Design (EBD) and the system dynamics pictorial representation. The policy model developed in this thesis provides a graphical representation of the abstract policy language. The policy system model constructed based on the policy model further clarifies the linkage between policy and waste management systems. The way the policy really works is also clear from the analysis of the results, i.e., the policy controls the entire waste management system by controlling a subset of variables that affect other variables but are not affected by other variables. These variables can be divided into three categories: user-related variables, policy-related variables, and resource-related variables.
Along with the analysis of policy statements and the search for policy variables, this thesis investigates the process of policy generation and evolution. The general structure of the policy is linked to the responsibilities and work requirements of the various stakeholders within the policy based on three aspects: master plan, management hierarchy, and legal penalties. These structural maps will work together with the policy model to help policymakers further enhance the comprehension and improve the content of the policy in the future.