We are excited to share the call for papers for Opening the Bin 3 – Waste, economy, culture and society: ‘One World, one Bin?’.

Opening the Bin 3 invites contributions that explore the organizing and re-organizing of waste as representative of the ‘new normal’ (Li, 2020). As events in recent years increasingly show, the world is moving deeper into a permanent state of crisis, at sanitary, social, economic and environmental levels, which confronts us with the construction of a ‘new normal’, in which waste, in all of its diversity, plays a central, inescapable role. This is not only about the fact that inherently wasteful regimes of production, consumption and discard are behind the reproduction of these interconnected crises at a global scale (Nelson, 2020). It is also about the fact that resilience-procuring agents, in organizational and governmental spheres, cannot help but generate waste in their efforts to absorb strain, repair and prevent further damages (Adyel, 2020; Sarkodie and Owusu, 2020, Zapata Campos et al., 2020). Considering such a scenario, we seek to offer a space for open, creative, transdisciplinary academic exchange around waste that is at the same time unapologetically normative; wasting ought to be debated, for it must be curbed, if our earthly society-in-crisis is to have a chance to endure.

We welcome papers that open new spaces of reflection, understanding and critique, regardless of their theoretical sources of inspiration and methodological approaches. Innovation in writing and composing style are also welcome. In addition to scholars working in organization and management studies, we welcome contributions from – inter alia – anthropology, sociology, psychosocial studies, geography, philosophy, politics, art history, communication, film, gender and cultural studies, among other fields.

Visit our website (https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/otb3-2023) or see attachment for full details of the call for papers.  

Keynote Speakers (https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/otb3-2023/keynote-speakers/ ).

• Josh Lepawsky. Professor of Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. He researches the geographies of discards, of maintenance, and of repair.
• Trisia Farrelly. Associate Professor at Massey University, New Zealand and joined UNEP’s expert group in 2017 and currently sits on its Scientific Advisory Committee (Marine Litter and Microplastics) and the Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific Advisory Committee and Co-Convenes its Policy Working Group.
• Patrik Zapata. Professor in Public Administration at the School of Public Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and isone of the many waste researchers who are not afraid to physically engage with waste. He can provide a unique insight into how ‘One World, and One Bin’ is organized.

Closing Date for Paper Submission: 16th January 2023

Papers should be submitted in electronic form (pdf) via email to OTB3@lancaster.ac.uk. Please include your contact information and affiliation.

PhD Student – please express your interest in taking part in a dedicated pre-conference waste workshop on the morning of 15th June.

Important dates:

§  16th January 2023 – Submission of abstract

§  6th February 2023 – Acceptance decision announced

§  14th April 2023 – Registration Closes

§  15th May 2023 – Sending full paper or work-in progress

§  15th-17th June 2023 – Conference takes place at Lancaster University