Reaching for low-hanging fruits and staying in low-value paths: Introducing capability trap theory to transition studies

Our current production and consumption systems generate urban waste that has become a significant sustainability transition challenge. The urgency of the issue and the failure to appreciate the long-term consequences of policies lead to choices that are effective in the short term with little effort, analogous to reaching for ‘low-hanging fruit’. However, these choices also lead to the neglect of opportunities to explore policies that may eliminate the root causes of the issue and lead to long-term improvements in the capabilities and performance of Solid Waste Management (SWM) systems. In this way, path dependence builds in SWM systems and keeps them in a capability trap, i.e., an operation mode of low performance and low value. In this paper, we introduce capability trap theory to transition studies and illustrate it in the case of Accra's SWM system in Ghana, and its transition from a linear to a circular mode of operation. In the analysis of the case, we use the whole system reconfiguration approach to ‘zoom out’ to the whole system structure and appreciate the multiple sources of change and their effects on the system structure. Then, we use the system dynamics approach to ‘zoom in’ to the feedback loops of the SWM sub-systems and show how they give rise to the capability trap. We draw on stakeholder interviews and workshops to identify leverage points for path creation towards a sustainable, circular SWM system. The combination of the two approaches and the introduction of capability trap theory into transition studies enhances our understanding of path dependence and leverage points for path creation in transition processes.