Municipal Waste Generation and Socioeconomic Drivers (original) (raw)
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SSRN Electronic Journal, 2006
This paper provides empirical evidence on delinking and Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for municipal waste production in Italy. First, methodological issues and literature on delinking and EKC for waste are critically reexamined. Secondly, we analyse two very disaggregated panel datasets on Italian Regions and Provinces (1996-2004 data for the 20 regions, 2000-2004 data for the 103 provinces) to estimate the extent to which delinking between waste production and economic drivers is taking place. The empirical analysis of different specifications shows mixed evidence in favour of an EKC relationship. Evidence supporting an EKC hypothesis significantly arises at a provincial level, which presents a very high data heterogeneity. Nevertheless, the turning point is at very high levels of added value per capita (around 23,000-26,000€), which characterise a very limited number of wealthy (Northern) Italian provinces. The analysis does not reveal a similar evidence for the regional dataset: only a relative delinking dynamic emerges at the provincial level, we also note a positive relationship between waste production and the share of separated waste collection, which can be explained by the sharp difference in income and waste-policy performance between Northern and Southern Italy. Population density is not significant. Finally, the test on some policy proxies, i.e. the diffusion of the new waste tariff regime at the local-level and the ability of utilities to recover waste service cost, leads to the conclusion that they are not (yet) impacting waste production. To lower the turning points and to avoid an increasing gap between geographical areas, innovative (market based) and more effective policy instruments should be implemented. In particular, the weight of waste policies should be rebalanced towards waste prevention targets and instruments, in line with the priorities stated by the EU and Member Countries. In fact, the indirect feedback effect of good post-production waste management policies/practices on reducing waste production at a source can be weak and slow. In general, the results confirm that more geographically-disaggregated data may offer more insights with respect to crosscountry datasets, also from the policy perspective.
Municipal Solid Waste generation dynamics. Breaks and thresholds analysis in the Italian context
Waste Management, 2022
Municipal solid waste prevention represents a topical point in circular economy policies within the European Union. It is therefore paramount to assess its state of decoupling from economic activity. There is weak evidence from empirical research that Italy managed to achieve this structural change locally. Decoupling is not arising homogenously in the waste generation-income relationship in Italy over the last two decades. The heterogeneity in economic performances and waste policies could be an explanation. However, it is possible to find common patterns between decoupler against non-decoupler provinces. This paper involves panel data of 103 provinces during eighteen years (2001–2018) of Italian Provinces (NUTS3) to assess the drivers of structural changes in the income-waste relation. The innovation consists of the use of a threshold model to assess the minimal requirements of socio-economic performances to decouple economic activity to non-separated waste. The threshold point differs from the tipping point as it is always observable in the panel. Previous studies mostly estimated the latter involving panel data analysis. This often resulted in fallacious interpretation, especially due to spurious regressions. The observability is a relevant criterion, as several provinces have achieved the decoupling state. Results indicate that economic activity and tourist are relevant threshold variables in waste prevention. Both are sources of local financing; thus, it is probable that circular practices are dependent on the volume of potential expenditure rather than structural characteristics such as population density.
Evaluating waste collection management: the case of macro-areas and municipalities in Italy
Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2018
The purpose of the present paper is to analyse the gap among Italian macroareas performances in terms of separate waste collection rate and density of separate waste collection. The aim is twofold: (1) to investigate if clear and effective infrastructure policies, in Southern Italy, have been realized that are able to reduce the gap in the separate waste collection process with the rest of Italy and (2) to evaluate if Southern Italian municipalities have improved their operational capacity in the separate waste collection process. In particular, we exploit data collected in 2012 by several Italian sources (ISPRA and ISTAT). We implement a recentered influence function regression technique that allows us to put two macro-areas in comparison (North vs. South and Centre vs. South). This technique, once measured the territorial gaps, allows to disentangle the gap in the two spatial units of analysis (at municipalities level and at macro-areas level). The estimates suggest that while in the North the issue of waste is managed effectively and responsibly with respect to the Southern area, the latter has exhibited an advantage with respect to the Central Italy; furthermore, Southern municipalities appear to be unable to pursue a virtuous
Data on urban waste collection: The case of the Apulia region in Italy
Data in Brief, 2019
The collection of urban waste is an important step of the waste management cycle, because the collection of sorted waste that soon separates different kind of materials makes their reusing, recovering, and recycling easier and more efficient, reducing the amount of landfilled waste. In Italy, municipalities have to meet specific targets relative to the yearly percentage of sorted waste collection. Collecting and analyzing data about waste collection and the proportion of sorted waste and the specific type of waste materials is a critical activity to measure the performance and monitor the effort of the municipalities to meet targets. Raw data relative to the yearly amounts of total and sorted waste collected from 2007 to 2017, and data relative to socio-economics in 258 municipalities of the Apulia region were retrieved from public databases and were used to calculate waste statistical indicators. Data about total and sorted waste collection in Italy at the regional and country level were retrieved and analysed to compare the Apulia region and specific groups of regions. The evolution of the per capita total and sorted waste amounts was also analysed over time for Apulia and the rest of Italy. The effects of the municipality surface area, the number of inhabitants and population density on the sorted waste collection rate were investigated by performing regression analysis. These data may help policy makers and stakeholders to evaluate total and sorted waste production over time, set and assess targets, and identify best policy practices.
Ecological Indicators, 2018
Over the last decade (2001-2010), the European Union has observed a consistent increase in municipal waste (MW) per capita in 18 out of its 28 members (European Environment Agency, 2013). Even if MW only accounts for approximately 10% of total waste generated in the EU, it has a relevant socio-environmental impact (Eurostat, 2016a,b). In this perspective, studies that investigate the determinants of MW generation are particularly valuable since they might inform policies aimed at incentivizing MW reduction, that are very important in the waste management strategy (Beigl et al., 2008). This paper aims to contribute to the literature by empirically addressing a highly debated issue, namely the existence of a link between economic wealth and waste production as modeled by the Waste Kuznets Curve (WKC), Original Articles Kuznets curve in municipal solid waste production: An empirical analysis based on municipal-level panel data from the Lombardy region (Italy)
The Cost of Urban Waste Management: An Empirical Analysis of Recycling Patterns in Italy
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 2020
Italy is facing high pressure to meet objectives to recycle waste and national waste management targets set by the European Union Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC; EC European Commission, 2008). However, waste collection and recycling waste costs pose major problems (addressed here) at municipal level for the Italian waste management system. The empirical literature on waste management has paid much more attention to demand-side aspects (reduction and discouragement of land disposal and promotion of recycling and recovery) than to supply-side issues such as analysis of waste management costs. This paper addresses the gap in this research field by estimating the cost function of providing waste collection and recycling services for Italian municipalities during the years 2011-2017. Specifically, we estimate cost elasticity and marginal costs to determine if there are economies of scale for recycling urban waste. Our findings suggest that increasing recycling rates would not substantially increase total costs for most of the municipalities, so recycling should be encouraged, especially for municipalities with low recycling rates. In particular, we observe that cost elasticity is higher in northern municipalities than in central and southern Italian municipalities. Our cost function exhibits economies of scale until a certain amount of recycled waste. The results provide insights into the cost structure of recycling that may lead to more efficient waste management.
Italy's urban waste metabolism
2011
The problem of waste management is causing growing concern due to increasing generation rates, the emissions into soil, water and air, the social conflicts derived from the election of disposal sites and the loss of resources and energy among others. In this work, an innovative methodology is used to enable a better understanding of the waste generation and management system in Italy. Two new waste indicators are built to complement the conventional indicators used by official statistics. Then a multi-scale analysis of the Density of Waste Disposed (DWD) is carried out to highlight the territorial diversity of waste performances and test its contribution to detect plausible risky areas. Starting from Italian regions, the scale down goes on to the provincial level and, only for the region of Campania, the municipal one. First, the analysis shows that the DWD is able to complement the information provided by the conventional waste indicators. Second, the analysis shows the limitations of using a unique institutional solution to waste management problems. In this sense the multi-scale analysis provides with a more realistic picture of Italian waste system than using a single scale.
Household waste recycling: national survey evidence from Italy
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2012
The paper analyses the determinants of household recycling in Italy with particular emphasis on social behaviours. The econometric analysis is based on two waves -1998 and 2000 -of the Multipurpose Household Survey conducted annually by the Italian Central Statistics Office. In Italy household recycling was substantially voluntary in the years from 1998 to 2000 with no monetary incentives or pecuniary sanctions. Five different materials are investigated: paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and food waste. The results of the probit regressions suggest that membership in non-profit associations, church attendance, the habit of talking politics and reading newspapers are significantly correlated with household recycling behaviour, while gender, age, education and household income playing the biggest role. Our findings also show that the presence of recycling bins for waste improves household recycling behaviour for all materials whereas difficulty to reach recycling bins adversely affects household recycling outcomes. Household judgments on waste disposal charges have no effect on the recycling effort. Residency in Southern Italy is associated with the lowest probability of recycling all materials.
The Costs of Disposal and Recycling: An Application to Italian Municipal Solid Waste Services
Regional Studies, 2014
The paper investigates the costs of waste disposal and recycling services by using a well-behaved Composite cost function model. Our estimates on a unique sample of more than 500 Italian municipalities highlight that the refuse collection technology exhibits constant returns to scale as well as scope economies between disposal and recycling. As far as the size of the municipality increases, scope economies rise up to 14%, but they are accompanied with overall diseconomies of scale. Our findings suggest that, on the one hand, joint management of disposal and recycling should be encouraged, and, on the other hand, that strategies aimed at increasing the share of waste sent for recycling would not imply a considerable increase in total costs.