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Curbside Recycling In The Presence Of Alternatives

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  • TIMOTHY K. M. BEATTY
  • PETER BERCK
  • JAY P. SHIMSHACK

Abstract

We measure the extent to which curbside access affects quantity recycled. We use novel data to distinguish between new recycling and material diverted from other recycling modes. We find that the marginal impact of expanding curbside programs on total recycled quantities is small, in part because curbside programs significantly cannibalize returns from drop‐off recycling centers. Failure to account for cannibalization from other modes may substantially overestimate the benefits of curbside programs. We conclude with simple cost‐effectiveness comparisons. Results suggest that incremental expansion of curbside access may not be cost‐effective. (JEL Q53, Q58, H72)

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy K. M. Beatty & Peter Berck & Jay P. Shimshack, 2007. "Curbside Recycling In The Presence Of Alternatives," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 45(4), pages 739-755, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:45:y:2007:i:4:p:739-755
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-7295.2007.00055.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Elbert Dijkgraaf & Raymond Gradus, 2017. "An EU Recycling Target: What Does the Dutch Evidence Tell Us?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(3), pages 501-526, November.
    2. Peter Berck & Marshall Blundell & Gabriel Englander & Samantha Gold & Shelley He & Janet Horsager & Scott Kaplan & Molly Sears & Andrew Stevens & Carly Trachtman & Rebecca Taylor & Sofia B. Villas‐Boa, 2021. "Recycling Policies, Behavior and Convenience: Survey Evidence from the CalRecycle Program," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(2), pages 641-658, June.
    3. Lakhan, Calvin, 2016. "The relationship between municipal waste diversion incentivization and recycling system performance," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 68-77.
    4. Walls, Margaret, 2011. "Deposit-Refund Systems in Practice and Theory," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-47, Resources for the Future.
    5. Martha A. Starr, 2015. "The Economics of Ethical Consumption," Working Papers 2015-01, American University, Department of Economics.
    6. W. Kip Viscusi & Joel Huber & Jason Bell & Caroline Cecot, 2013. "Discontinuous Behavioral Responses to Recycling Laws and Plastic Water Bottle Deposits," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 15(1), pages 110-155.
    7. Briguglio, Marie & Delaney, Liam & Wood, Alex, 2018. "Partisanship, priming and participation in public-good schemes," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 136-150.
    8. Abbott, Andrew & Nandeibam, Shasikanta & O'Shea, Lucy, 2017. "The Displacement Effect of Convenience: The Case of Recycling," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 159-168.
    9. Anghelache Constantin & Anghel Madalina-Gabriela, 2017. "Analysis Of The Environmental Impact Of Waste In Eu Member States," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 2, pages 5-11, December.
    10. Berck, Peter & Sears, Molly & Taylor, Rebecca L.C. & Trachtman, Carly & Villas-Boas, Sofia B., 2024. "Reduce, reuse, redeem: Deposit-refund recycling programs in the presence of alternatives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    11. Dijkgraaf, Elbert & Gradus, Raymond, 2009. "Environmental activism and dynamics of unit-based pricing systems," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 13-23, January.
    12. Rebecca L. C. Taylor, 2020. "A Mixed Bag: The Hidden Time Costs of Regulating Consumer Behavior," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(2), pages 345-378.
    13. Rob Aalbers & Herman Vollebergh, 2008. "An economic analysis of mixing wastes," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 39(3), pages 311-330, March.
    14. Abbott, Andrew & Nandeibam, Shasikanta & O'Shea, Lucy, 2011. "Explaining the variation in household recycling rates across the UK," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 2214-2223, September.
    15. Best, Henning & Kneip, Thorsten, 2014. "Curbside Collection and Participation in Household Waste Recycling: A Causal Analysis," MEA discussion paper series 201415, Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy.
    16. Raymond Gradus & Rick van Koppen & Elbert Dijkgraaf & Paul Nillesen, 2016. "A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Incineration or Recycling of Dutch Household Plastics," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 16-039/VI, Tinbergen Institute.
    17. Belleflamme, Paul & Ha, Huan, 2021. "Improving recycling: How far should we go?," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2021009, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    18. De Silva, Lihini & Taylor, Rebecca, 2021. "If you build it, they will compost: The effects of municipal composting services on household waste generation," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313874, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Elbert Dijkgraaf & Raymond Gradus, 2014. "The Effectiveness of Dutch Municipal Recycling Policies," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 14-155/VI, Tinbergen Institute.
    20. Marie Briguglio, 2016. "Household Cooperation In Waste Management: Initial Conditions And Intervention," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 497-525, July.
    21. Gilli, Marianna & Nicolli, Francesco & Farinelli, Paola, 2018. "Behavioural attitudes towards waste prevention and recycling," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 294-305.
    22. Acuff, Kaylee & Kaffine, Daniel T., 2013. "Greenhouse gas emissions, waste and recycling policy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 74-86.
    23. Henning Best & Thorsten Kneip, 2019. "Assessing the Causal Effect of Curbside Collection on Recycling Behavior in a Non-randomized Experiment with Self-reported Outcome," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(4), pages 1203-1223, April.
    24. Gradus, Raymond H.J.M. & Nillesen, Paul H.L. & Dijkgraaf, Elbert & van Koppen, Rick J., 2017. "A Cost-effectiveness Analysis for Incineration or Recycling of Dutch Household Plastic Waste," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 22-28.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures

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