Citizen Involvement in Waste Management: An Application of The STOPER Model via an Informed Consensus Approach

/ Waste management planning and implementation is not only a technological issue, but a social and political one as well. In this paper, we discuss a proposal to rethink certain aspects about waste management planning and implementation. Specifically, we present a framework whereby the ordinary citizen can proactively and constructively participate in the decision-making process. After briefly discussing the STOPER research team and certain limits inherent in current waste-management practices, we propose a mode of consultation known as the informed consensus approach. We assert that this approach incorporates social perceptions of key intervenors such as experts, decision makers, interest groups, and ordinary citizens and that this can enrich the decision-making process concerning complex environmental issues such as waste management. We focus our presentation on the results of the application of an informed consensus approach to waste management strategies in the municipality of Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). KEY WORDS: Informed consensus; Public participation; Decision-making process; Social acceptability; Waste management