PLASTHANTERINGEN I SVERIGE En kvalitativ studie om storstadskommunernas plasthantering utifrån EU:s Plastdirektiv (EU) 2019/904

Sammanfattning: The aim of this essay is to examine the handling of plastic waste on a local level in the three municipalities of Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm. This is achieved with the help of guidance within the theory of Multi-level Governance. By applying the EU directive 2019/904, about disposable plastic, and examining the global plastic problem, the efforts to promote sustainable use, and recycling of plastic, is analyzed. The method involves a qualitative content analysis, where the 2022 waste plans of the three municipalities, “Sveriges handlingsplan för plast” by the Government Office, and the 2019/904 EU directive constitutes the base of the study. The result highlights how the municipalities have introduced actions and goals that are in line with the 2019/904 directive, and what they have focused on, and how they will achieve those goals. The conclusion shows how the municipalities’ responsibility connects to the environmental politics of the EU and how this shows in their waste plans. By observing this subject within the framework of Multi-level Governance, the essay attempts to gain understanding of the complex relationships between the local, national and european level in handling plastic waste. In conclusion, this study, with the aid of EU directive 2019/904 and the theory of Multi-level governance, contributes to the insight and analysis of how the responsibility of three municipalities looks concerning their dealing with the problems that plastic poses in sustainability related issues.