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Circular Innovation Hub Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
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Publications

The Circular Innovation Hub features a diverse collection of research papers, reports, and case studies on waste management. Our publications highlight cutting-edge solutions for sustainable waste reduction, recycling, and management practices. By accessing our latest work, you can stay informed about the innovative strategies and breakthroughs that are shaping the future of waste management for communities, industries, and governments worldwide.

Publications, White Papers, and Reports (2012–2026)

Organized chronologically, most recent first. Item type is shown in brackets.

2026

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2026). Why insisting on circularity and stigmatizing disposal undermines sustainability. Nature Reviews Materials.
  • [SSRN working paper] Ecomodulation of Extended Producer Responsibility Fees: A Literature Review.
  • [SSRN working paper] From Eco-Anxiety to Agency: A Policy Primer on Environmental Distress, Public Trust, and Community Resilience.
  • [SSRN working paper] Behavioural Attrition, Product Specificity, and the Conditional Case for Consumer Packaging Reuse.
  • [SSRN working paper] Why Reusable Packaging Leaks: Deconstructing Consumer-Driven Attrition in Closed-Loop Systems.
  • [SSRN working paper] Environmental Socialization, Infrastructure Familiarity, and Communication Accessibility among First-Generation Immigrant Populations in Ontario Recycling Systems.
  • [SSRN working paper] Perceived Behavioral Control and the Inversion of the Waste Hierarchy: Explaining Recycling Dominance in Public Waste Perceptions.
  • [SSRN working paper] The Anatomy of Recycling Cynicism and Systemic Friction across Divergent End-of-Life Material Streams: Packaging, E-waste, and Household Hazardous Waste.
  • [SSRN working paper] Designed for Whom? Spatial Inequity, Settlement Dynamics, and Newcomer Exclusion from Community Circular Economy Infrastructure.
  • [SSRN working paper] The Stagnation Paradox: A Longitudinal Analysis of Structural Limitations in Canadian Extended Producer Responsibility Programs.
  • [SSRN working paper] Beyond the Language Barrier: Digital Divides and Environmental Participation in Immigrant Communities (v2).
  • [Research library] The Packaging EPR Library.
  • [Research library] The Packaging Label Atlas.

2025

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C., Welt, B. A., Gazaleh, J., & Boz, Z. (2025). Closing the loop: How regenerative robust gasification enhances recycling and supply chain resilience. Recycling, 10(6), 209.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2025). The "yuck factor" and hygiene perceptions: A mixed-methods study on consumer trust in shared reusable food and beverage containers. World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences, 17(2).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2025). Bridging the gap. In A. Assuah & K. T. W. Ng (Eds.), Solid Waste Management in Canada: Approaches, Practices, and Experiences. Routledge.
  • [SSRN working paper] The "Yuck Factor" and Hygiene Perceptions: A Mixed-Methods Study on Consumer Trust in Shared Reusable Food and Beverage Containers.
  • [SSRN working paper] Circularity as Gendered Performance: The Impact of "Zero Waste" Attributes on Product Masculinity and Consumer Acceptance.
  • [SSRN working paper] The Perception Paradox: Why Our Love Affair with Recycling Is Hindering Sustainability.
  • [SSRN working paper] Consumer Attitudes Toward Refillable and Reusable Packaging: Bridging the Value-Action Gap.
  • [SSRN working paper] Beyond the Language Barrier: Digital Divides and Environmental Participation in Immigrant Communities (v1).
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Consumer Attitudes Toward Refillable and Reusable Packaging: Bridging the Value-Action Gap.

2024

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2024). Understanding illegal dumping in Ontario: Drivers, barriers, and policy recommendations. GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 20(3).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2024). Barriers to laminated film recycling: Challenges and opportunities in engineering solutions. Journal of Engineering Research and Reports, 26(10).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2024). Evaluating the effectiveness, costs, and challenges of deposit return systems for beverage containers: A meta-analysis. World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences, 13(1).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2024). Consumer habits and behaviors relating to reusable packaging. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2024). Ethnic variation in stated recycling attitudes and behaviors among households in Ontario, Canada. Advances in Recycling & Waste Management.
  • [SSRN working paper] Evaluating the Effectiveness, Costs, and Challenges of Deposit Return Systems for Beverage Containers: A Meta-Analysis.
  • [SSRN working paper] Ethnic Variation in Stated Recycling Attitudes and Behaviors among Households in Ontario, Canada.
  • [SSRN working paper] Best Practices in Sustainable Communication for Minority Communities.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Best Practices for Organics Diversion in Multi-Residential Buildings: A Review of the Literature.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] The Language of Sustainability, Chapter 1: Framing in Sustainability Communication.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Understanding Illegal Dumping in Ontario: Drivers, Barriers, and Policy Recommendations.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Evaluating the Effectiveness, Costs, and Challenges of Deposit Return Systems for Beverage Containers: A Meta-Analysis.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Best Practices in Sustainable Communication for Minority Communities.
  • [SocArXiv preprint] Ethnic Variation in Stated Recycling Attitudes and Behaviors among Households in Ontario, Canada.
  • [White paper / report] The Language of Sustainability, Chapter 3: Overcoming Psychological Distance in Sustainability Communication.
  • [White paper / report] The Language of Sustainability: Cognitive Accessibility.
  • [White paper / report] Cognitive Accessibility in Sustainability Communication: A Guide for Decision-Makers.
  • [White paper / report] Consumer Habits and Behaviors Relating to Sustainable Package Labeling.
  • [White paper / report] Consumer Habits and Behaviors Relating to Reusable Packaging.
  • [White paper / report] Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging: Frequently Asked Questions (White Paper).
  • [White paper / report] Best Practices for Recycling in Public Spaces.
  • [White paper / report] Foundational Principles for Integrating Traditional Knowledge in Circular Economy Frameworks.

2023

  • [White paper / report] Lakhan, C., & Adjei, N. (2023). Best Practices in Addressing Illegal Dumping of Durable Waste: A Guide for Policy Makers. Prepared for the Mattress Recycling Council.
  • [White paper / report] Lakhan, C., Weiderick, B., & Adjei, N. (2023). Consumer Attitudes Towards Packaging and Packaging Waste (University of Florida – 91ÑÇÉ« Study).

2022

  • [Journal article / chapter] Adusei, K. K., Ng, K. T. W., Mahmud, T. S., & Lakhan, C. (2022). Exploring the use of astronomical seasons in municipal solid waste disposal rates modeling. Sustainable Cities and Society.

2021

  • [White paper / report] New 91ÑÇÉ« State EPR Modeling White Paper.
  • [White paper / report] Maine State EPR Modeling.
  • [White paper / report] Study Primer: Responses to Study Criticism.
  • [White paper / report] Key Data Considerations Prior to the Adoption of an Extended Producer Responsibility Program for Packaging Waste.
  • [White paper / report] Overview of Governance Models for EPR Programs for Packaging Waste.
  • [White paper / report] Waste Management Key Performance Indicators.
  • [White paper / report] EPR Checklist and Necessary Considerations: Pre-requisites for Effective Producer Responsibility Legislation.
  • [White paper / report] Extended Producer Responsibility Primer: Answers to Common Questions and Claims.
  • [White paper / report] What Is the Goal of the Blue Box? Why Recycling Isn't Always What's Best for the Environment or Our Wallet.

2020

  • [White paper / report] Lakhan, C., Cho, M., & McMillan, E. (2020). Review of Recycle BC Program Performance.
  • [White paper / report] A Historical Overview of Recycle BC's EPR Program for Household Packaging Waste.
  • [White paper / report] Economic Analysis of Expanding the List of Obligated Packaging Materials ("Packaging-Like Products") in the Ontario Blue Box Program.
  • [White paper / report] Estimating EPR Costs Associated with Expanding the Obligation into the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Sector.
  • [White paper / report] Modeling EPR Impacts on the Price of Consumer Packaged Goods in Ontario.
  • [White paper / report] Compostable Coffee Pod Fact Sheet.

2019

  • [White paper / report] Why Ontario's Plan to Tackle Plastic Waste Will Not Save Taxpayers Money: A Review of Ontario's Transition to Full Extended Producer Responsibility (100% EPR Critique).

2017

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2017). The garbage gospel: Using the theory of planned behavior to explain the role of religious institutions in affecting pro-environmental behavior among ethnic minorities. The Journal of Environmental Education, 49(1).

2016

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Optimizing emissions targets for residential recycling programmes: Why "more" is not necessarily better with respect to diversion. Waste Management & Research, 34(10).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Out of sight, out of mind: Issues and obstacles to recycling in Ontario's multi residential buildings. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 108.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). The relationship between municipal waste diversion incentivization and recycling system performance. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 106.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Effectiveness of recycling promotion and education initiatives among first-generation ethnic minorities in Ontario, Canada. Social Sciences, 5(2), 23.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Calculating the emissions impacts of waste electronics recycling in Ontario, Canada. C – Journal of Carbon Research, 2(2), 11.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Consumer perception of environmental harm and willingness to pay environmental handling fees. Environments, 3(1), 8.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Do eco-fees encourage design for the environment? The relationship between environmental handling fees and recycling rates for printed paper and packaging. Recycling, 1(1).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Factors influencing increases in residential recycling system costs for Ontario's Blue Box program. Advances in Recycling & Waste Management, 1(1).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2016). Modeling the economic impacts of increasing diversion in Ontario's industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) sector. Advances in Recycling & Waste Management, 1(1).
  • [White paper / report] The Garbage Gospel: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain the Role of Religious Institutions in Affecting Pro-Environmental Behavior among Ethnic Minorities (research report).
  • [Research snapshot] Do Eco-Fees Encourage Design for the Environment?
  • [Research snapshot] Optimizing Emissions Targets for Residential Recycling Programs in Ontario.
  • [Research snapshot] Calculating the Emissions Impacts of Waste Electronics Recycling in Ontario.
  • [Research snapshot] Effectiveness of Recycling Promotion and Education Initiatives among Ethnic Minorities.
  • [Research snapshot] Something Stinks: Issues Surrounding Access to Public Space Recycling and Socioeconomic Inequality.
  • [Research snapshot] Ethnic Variation in Stated Recycling Attitudes and Behaviors.
  • [Research snapshot] Examining the Effectiveness of Municipal Waste Diversion Incentives.
  • [Research snapshot] Evaluating the Effectiveness of Recycling Promotion and Education Investments in Ontario.
  • [Research snapshot] Evaluating the Effectiveness of PAYT Schemes in Ontario.
  • [Research snapshot] Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Issues and Obstacles to Recycling in Ontario's Multi-Residential Sector.
  • [Research snapshot] Diversion, but at What Cost?
  • [Research snapshot] Differences in Self-Reported Recycling Behavior of First and Second Generation South Asians.

2015

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). North of the 46° parallel: Obstacles and challenges to recycling in Ontario's rural and northern communities. Waste Management, 44.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). Diversion, but at what cost? The economic challenges of recycling in Ontario. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 95.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). Evaluating the effects of unit based waste disposal schemes on the collection of household recyclables in Ontario, Canada. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 95.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). Differences in self reported recycling behavior of first and second generation South Asians in Ontario, Canada. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 97.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). A comparison of single and multi-stream recycling systems in Ontario, Canada. Resources, 4(2), 384–397.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). Stakeholder perceptions of unit based waste disposal schemes in Ontario, Canada. Resources, 4(3), 434–452.
  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2015). An analysis of waste transfer payments: Municipal waste diversion incentivization and recycling rate performance in Ontario, Canada. SAGE Open, 5(3).
  • [Journal article / chapter] Alam, N., Ahmad, S. R., Qadir, A., Lakhan, C., & Lakhan, V. C. (2015). Use of statistical and GIS techniques to assess and predict concentrations of heavy metals in soils of Lahore City, Pakistan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187.
  • [PhD thesis] Lakhan, C. (2015). A critical review of Ontario's Blue Box program: Identifying and testing best practices in printed paper and packaging recycling [PhD thesis, Wilfrid Laurier University].

2014

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2014). Exploring the relationship between municipal promotion and education investments and recycling rate performance in Ontario, Canada. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 92.

2012

  • [Journal article / chapter] Lakhan, C. (2012). Alternative waste management strategies in the Caribbean: Developing structured cooperatives from informal recycling initiatives. Caribbean Studies.