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Multi-Tasking in the Waste Realm.Theoretical and Empirical Insights on Management and Disposal Performances

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  • Massimiliano Mazzanti

    (University of Ferrara, Italy)

  • Francesco Nicolli

    (University of Ferrara, and CERIS CNR Milan, Italy)

  • Dario Biolcati Rinaldi

    (University of Ferrara, Italy)

Abstract

We investigate waste management and disposal performances through the lens of the multi-tasking model (Holmstrom and Milgrom, 1991) to analyse the conversion that occurred in the Italian municipal waste management system, which is of interest due to its idiosyncratic and extensive decentralisation of waste management and policy decisions. We empirically root the research on a large panel dataset that covers 103 provinces over a decade. Waste management and waste policy incentives are tested. Main results are that increasing the price of landfill taxes promotes the primarily technological substitute to disposal, i.e. recycling, and consequently is able to promote separate collection. With regard to the new tariff, it constitutes an economic incentive to promote separate collection, because its structure includes tax breaks for those people who reach a certain amount of separate collection. More negative outcomes – but coherent with the multi-tasking model – emerge when assessing the determinants of waste generation: neither the tariff nor the landfill tax is statistically significant drivers of waste generation.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimiliano Mazzanti & Francesco Nicolli & Dario Biolcati Rinaldi, 2012. "Multi-Tasking in the Waste Realm.Theoretical and Empirical Insights on Management and Disposal Performances," EuroEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 5(31), pages 88-101, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:dug:journl:y:2012:i:5:p:88-101
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    File URL: http://journals.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/euroeconomica/article/view/1717
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Anna Montini & Francesco Nicolli, 2011. "Embedding landfill diversion in economic, geographical and policy settings," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(24), pages 3299-3311.
    2. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    3. Francesco Nicolli, 2012. "Convergence of waste-related indicators of environmental quality in Italy," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 14(4), pages 383-401, October.
    4. Holmstrom, Bengt & Milgrom, Paul, 1991. "Multitask Principal-Agent Analyses: Incentive Contracts, Asset Ownership, and Job Design," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(0), pages 24-52, Special I.
    5. Nicolli, Francesco & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2013. "Landfill diversion in a decentralized setting: A dynamic assessment of landfill taxes," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 17-23.
    6. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Roberto Zoboli, 2009. "Municipal Waste Kuznets Curves: Evidence on Socio-Economic Drivers and Policy Effectiveness from the EU," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 44(2), pages 203-230, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta & Stefano Ghinoi & Francesco Silvestri, 2017. "Municipal performance in waste recycling: an empirical analysis based on data from the Lombardy region (Italy)," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 337-352, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    multi-tasking; principal agent model; waste disposal; waste management; waste tariffs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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