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Agir sur la pollution plastique à l’échelle subnationale Analyse d’une étude de cas européenne
Summary
A qualitative analysis of the European TREASURE project found that subnational, river-basin-scale initiatives can create valuable collective learning spaces for addressing plastic pollution, even when they struggle to reconfigure administrative boundaries or generate organizational innovation. This research highlights that effective microplastic reduction requires experimental, place-based governance frameworks that bridge local jurisdictions rather than relying solely on top-down national or international policy.
Plastic pollution, and the ubiquitous contamination it generates, has become a public problem that has undergone various translations and reconfigurations as it has been placed on the political agenda. Different actors have taken it up in an attempt to implement targeted actions or public policies (at international, European, national, or local scales). Yet, given the characteristics of this pollution (ubiquity, mobility, transformation), it is relevant to understand how subnational initiatives emerge and how they contribute to building solutions that are more or less effective.Taking plastic as a complex problem, the research presented here aims to understand how a collective action at the subnational scale addresses the issue of plastic pollution. After analysing different initiatives, the European project TREASURE-whose objective is to reduce plastic flows in river basins flowing into the North Sea-was selected for qualitative analysis.The project is based on the principle of experimentation through the creation of living labs. These living labs do not truly generate organisational innovations or new forms of cooperation. However, although TREASURE struggles to reconfigure territorial frameworks, it does succeed in creating networking spaces that foster collective learning about plastic.Key points✔ The territorialization of public action on plastics at the subnational level could offer a way to overcome the administrative boundaries of local authorities. ✔ Plastic pollution is primarily understood through what is visible-particularly macrowaste-which strongly influences how public policies are designed. ✔ Experimentation through living labs generates contrasting territorial dynamics, rather than fostering reciprocal learning.