Waste Management in Russia

Abstract

The field of waste management in Russia demonstrates the consequences of stifling political opposition. Legislation censors environmentalists and activists who seek to reform current waste management practices, even as local politicians financially reward companies for dumping waste into deteriorating landfills. This article reviews current waste management practices in Russia and the effects of such practices on the Russian populace. It outlines the various protests and other forms of civic engagement that have taken place in response to inadequate waste management, and the government's repression of such responses using the "foreign agent" law. Finally, the article examines the corruption in Russia's waste management system and explores why reform of this sector is unlikely to occur.