”There is a need for people who can provide a transition”: A case study of how educational activities empower actors to engage in a local transition of the waste system on Bornholm, Denmark

Abstract: Sustainable waste management is a complex task within environmental governance, and municipalities play a key role in governing a transition of the waste system toward prevention and reuse. This calls for an enhanced understanding of local capacities for change, and therefore this thesis adopts a socio-institutional perspective on the power of actors to influence local transitions. Through a qualitative case study of the waste sector of Bornholm, Denmark, I investigate the experience of actors in the cross-field of waste management and education. The results show how actors create synergies between organizations and sectors and thereby circumstances to further institutionalize new external facilities, teaching practices, and educator roles. Thus, the empowerment of actors is enabled through access to external resources, local autonomy, and experience of local and regional impact. This thesis emphasizes the challenges of achieving system changes within public organizations and reflects on practical implications for local stakeholders on Bornholm.