Turning Waste into Action: Stakeholder Mapping for Extended Producer Responsibility in Sustainable Packaging`

Abstract

Packaging waste has become an increasingly urgent urban environmental problem. However, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) implementation remains constrained by unclear stakeholder roles, weak coordination, and unequal stakeholder power. Research on stakeholder roles in local sustainable packaging governance also remains limited. This study examines stakeholder power, legitimacy, and urgency in EPR implementation. A qualitative case study was conducted in Yogyakarta from April to August 2026. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven informants representing government institutions and businesses that had or had not adopted sustainable packaging, supported by document review and field observations. The data were analyzed using thematic coding, stakeholder mapping, and triangulation. The findings identify government institutions and businesses as key stakeholders, while technical institutions facilitate the transition of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises toward sustainable packaging. Communities have legitimate and urgent environmental interests but limited formal authority. Stakeholder salience is dynamic and context-dependent. Effective EPR implementation therefore requires clear roles, stronger coordination, business support, community participation, transparent communication, and periodic evaluation.