Household waste management in a Swedish municipality: determinants of waste disposal, recycling and composting (original) (raw)

Driving Forces for High Household Waste Recycling. Lessons from Sweden

This study explores the development of waste management infrastructure in Sweden in order to understand the trends and factors influencing the developments of waste management systems with extremely low landfilling rates and co-existing high recycling rates and large-scale incineration. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what lessons could be learnt from the existing municipal solid waste management systems in the old EU member states. The system in Sweden is among the best in the EU ensuring high resource recovery rates. The new member states could learn from the past experiences and avoid potential mistakes in long-term strategic planning. The paper focuses on the effects of different administrative and economic policy instruments. The focus is on the effects of a producer responsibility principle, introduction of deposit-refund systems, taxes on landfilling and incineration as well as regulatory bans on waste treatment options. It also provides a historic perspective on what kinds of internal and external factors shaped the development in Sweden. In the end, a discussion is focusing on lessons learnt and possible implications for waste management systems in Lithuania.

What motivates households recycling behaviour in recycling schemes of different maturity? Lessons from Lithuania and Sweden

Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2016

This study analyses the determinants of household recycling behaviour in a recycling system at an early stage of development (Lithuania) and compares them with those of a more mature recycling scheme (Sweden). The analysis builds on the empirics from household surveys and focuses on four fractions of household packaging waste. Several similarities within the two recycling schemes were found, including convenience, norm-based motivators, and the interactions between such factors. The analysis tested and confirmed the so-called ABC Hypothesis of moral norms being less important as motivators to recycle when it is easy and convenient to collect packaging waste, e.g. when kerbside collection is in place. One important difference between the two schemes was that social norms were found to be important for source sorting in the early-stage recycling system but not in the mature recycling system. This suggests not only that more effort should be devoted to shaping social norms that facilitate household recycling behaviour when collection systems are launched, but also that the focus should be on moral norms when the convenience factors in waste management schemes are still underdeveloped.

Comparison of different collection systems for sorted household waste in Sweden

Waste Management, 2007

Composition and quantity per person of municipal solid waste (MSW) have been analyzed in six municipalities in southern Sweden with similar socio-economic conditions but with different collection systems. Samples of residual waste have been sorted, classified and weighed in 21 categories during 26 analyses that took place from 1998–2004. Collection data of the total waste flow, including source sorted recycling materials, in the same area have been compiled and compared. Multivariate data analyses have been applied. Weight-based billing reduced delivered amounts of residual household waste by 50%, but it is unknown to what extent improper material paths had developed. With curbside collection more metal, plastic and paper packaging was separated and left to recycling. When separate collection of biodegradables was included in the curbside system, the overall sorting of dry recyclables increased. The large uncertainty associated with waste composition analyses makes it difficult to draw strong conclusions regarding the effects on specific recyclables or the changes in the composition of the residual waste.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE RECYCLING: ECONOMICS AND POLICY Documents de travail GREDEG GREDEG Working Papers Series

2015

This paper provides a review of economic studies that analyse the use of multiple policies to cope with waste management problems. We discuss the factors that influence selective sorting behaviour, and the most appropriate policies for their promotion. Based on the works analysed, our survey shows the original features of waste as an environmental problem requiring regulation. The traditional approach in which decisions respond to rational behaviour, particularly cost savings, has some limits. Although not all public policies seem justified, we argue that there might be a need for specific policies to promote recycling, preferably based on the provision of information to consumers or on behavioural instruments. Indeed, personal factors specific to each individual – such as emotions and the influence of social interaction – should be taken into account in the development of public policies. We review the literature related to different rationales and identify some avenues for future ...

Use of recycling stations in Borlänge, Sweden – volume weights and attitudes

Waste Management, 2004

This paper presents a study of recycling stations in the municipality of Borl€ ange, Sweden. The main objectives were to measure volume weights of recyclables, to facilitate future planning of collection intervals and bin/container volume, and to investigate the general attitudes among the public towards waste management in general and recycling stations in particular. Volume weights measured in bins/containers were: paper/newsprint: 297 kg/m 3 , glass packaging: 297 kg/m 3 , metal packaging: 81.7 kg/m 3 , paper packaging: 27.8 kg/m 3 , plastic packaging: 28.1 kg/m 3 . The recycling stations have been in use since 1994. Most visitors (90%) arrived by car but said the visit to the recycling station was not the main purpose of the trip. The results from the interviews indicated that the people who use the recycling stations have found ways to incorporate waste sorting into their everyday lives, with the help of information, design of the collection system and environmental concerns.

Flexible and robust strategies for waste management in Sweden

Waste Management, 2007

Treatment of solid waste continues to be on the political agenda. Waste disposal issues are often viewed from an environmental perspective, but economic and social aspects also need to be considered when deciding on waste strategies and policy instruments. The aim of this paper is to suggest flexible and robust strategies for waste management in Sweden, and to discuss different policy instruments. Emphasis is on environmental aspects, but social and economic aspects are also considered. The results show that most waste treatment methods have a role to play in a robust and flexible integrated waste management system, and that the waste hierarchy is valid as a rule of thumb from an environmental perspective. A review of social aspects shows that there is a general willingness among people to source separate wastes. A package of policy instruments can include landfill tax, an incineration tax which is differentiated with respect to the content of fossil fuels and a weight based incineration tax, as well as support to the use of biogas and recycled materials.

Towards sound environmental behaviour: Exploring household participation in waste management

Journal of Consumer Policy, 1996

The article reports a study of household participation in waste management. The empirical material stems from a long-term experiment with local composting carried out in a suburb of the city of G6teborg, Sweden. Fifty-two households of a population of 180 voluntarily participated in the field experiment where three makes of compostors were tested. The aim of the paper is to shed light on some critical factors that are of importance when introducing and evaluating new waste management systems that rely on active participation by households. The motives behind the initial decision to participate, as well as factors influencing continuation or discontinuation, are identified and analysed. Data were collected through three interviews carried out in the homes of participating families during the experimental period of one year. Amongst the results reported it can be seen that a general environmental concern was a common factor behind the decision to participate in the project. The positive attitude towards composting was strong throughout the experiment, although composting behaviour in the implementation phase declined in such a way that less material was composted due to lack of knowledge, technical misfits, and problems related to internal household dynamics. Another important result found was that the obstacles perceived by prospective participants prior to the commencement of the composting were not those that in fact proved to be decisive.

On the Value of Households' Recycling Efforts

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

Do households' recycling efforts represent a social cost, which should be taken into account in costbenefit analyses of alternative waste treatment systems? Some argue that it should not, since recycling efforts are to a large extent voluntary. We demonstrate that if the government can indirectly increase voluntary recycling efforts through appeals to the public or through similar means, then the use of these means does impose a cost on households. This cost can be higher or lower than the environmental gain resulting from the increased recycling. Norwegian data indicates a willingness to pay to let others take over the individual's sorting of household waste corresponding to a cost of about USD 87 per tonne, which is significant compared to the total treatment costs.

Household Demand for Waste Recycling Services

Environmental Management, 2005

Municipalities everywhere are coping with increasing amounts of solid waste and need urgently to formulate efficient and sustainable solutions to the problem. This study examines the use of economic incentives in municipal waste management. Specifically, we address the issue of recycling, if and when this waste management option is-on social welfare grounds-a preferred solution. A number of studies have recently assessed the monetary value of the externalities of alternative solid waste management options. In the present context, these subsidies could be interpreted as the implicit value of the benefits from reducing environmental externalities associated with landfilling as perceived by local government authorities. We surmise that the difference between mean householdsÕ willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling services, via the KEY WORDS: Municipal solid waste (MSW);