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Greenhouse gas emissions, waste and recycling policy

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  • Acuff, Kaylee
  • Kaffine, Daniel T.

Abstract

This paper examines least-cost policies for waste reduction, incorporating upstream greenhouse gas externalities associated with the production of consumption goods from various materials. In particular, we decompose the effect of deposit/refund, advance disposal fees, and recycling subsidies on upstream greenhouse gas emissions. We find that the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are of the same order as or larger than the benefits of reducing solid waste disposal, implying larger optimal total waste reduction than previous studies. Furthermore, the least-cost intervention levels will be material-specific and vary substantially across materials. Finally, despite the reductions in emissions implied by increased recycling rates, direct recycling subsidies are more costly and generate less emissions reductions than a deposit/refund or advance disposal fee.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:65:y:2013:i:1:p:74-86
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2012.05.003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Walls, Margaret, 2011. "Deposit-Refund Systems in Practice and Theory," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-47, Resources for the Future.
    3. Yasuyuki Sugiyama & Patcharin Koonsed, 2019. "International recycling firm joint ventures and optimal recycling standards," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 21(3), pages 427-449, July.
    4. Hiroaki Ino & Norimichi Matsueda, 2019. "The curse of low-valued recycling," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 282-306, June.
    5. Lafforgue, Gilles & Lorang, Etienne, 2022. "Recycling under environmental, climate and resource constraints," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    6. Kinnaman, Thomas C. & Shinkuma, Takayoshi & Yamamoto, Masashi, 2014. "The socially optimal recycling rate: Evidence from Japan," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 54-70.
    7. Ba, Bocar Samba & Soubeyran, Raphael, 2023. "Hotelling and recycling," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Zhou, Liang & Chen, Wei & Xu, Shang, 2022. "Do rural residents care about domestic waste management? A hedonic analysis of housing prices in rural China," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322212, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Adila Batool Syeda & Anwar Jadoon & Mahuammad Nawaz Chaudhry, 2017. "Life Cycle Assessment Modelling of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Existing and Proposed Municipal Solid Waste Management System of Lahore, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-8, December.
    10. Thornton Matheson, 2022. "Disposal is not free: fiscal instruments to internalize the environmental costs of solid waste," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(4), pages 1047-1073, August.
    11. Bhowmik, Avit K. & McCaffrey, Mark Stanislaus & Ruskey, Abigail M & Frischmann, Chad & Gaffney, Owen, 2018. "Powers of 10: cross-scale optimization of social agencies for rapid climate and sustainability action," Earth Arxiv feaq5, Center for Open Science.
    12. Zheng, Shiming & Yi, Hongtao & Li, Hui, 2015. "The impacts of provincial energy and environmental policies on air pollution control in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 386-394.
    13. Etienne Lorang & Antonello Lobianco & Philippe Delacote, 2021. "Sectoral, resource and carbon impacts of increased paper and cardboard recycling," Working Papers 2021.12, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    14. Ms. Thornton Matheson, 2019. "Disposal is Not Free: Fiscal Instruments to Internalize the Environmental Costs of Solid Waste," IMF Working Papers 2019/283, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Daniel T. Kaffine, 2014. "Scrap Prices, Waste, and Recycling Policy," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 90(1), pages 169-180.
    16. Lyazzat Nugumanova & Miriam Frey & Natalya Yemelina & Stanislav Yugay, 2017. "Environmental Problems and Policies in Kazakhstan: Air pollution, waste and water," Working Papers 366, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    17. Degli Antoni, Giacomo & Vittucci Marzetti, Giuseppe, 2019. "Recycling and Waste Generation: An Estimate of the Source Reduction Effect of Recycling Programs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 321-329.
    18. Richards, Timothy J. & Hamilton, Stephen F., 2018. "Food waste in the sharing economy," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 109-123.
    19. Xi Sun, 2023. "The Role of Carbon Pricing in Promoting Material Recycling: A Model of Multi-Market Interactions," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2034, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    20. Czajkowski, Mikołaj & Zagórska, Katarzyna & Hanley, Nick, 2019. "Social norm nudging and preferences for household recycling," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    21. M. Dubois & J. Eyckmans, 2015. "Efficient Waste Management Policies and Strategic Behavior with Open Borders," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(4), pages 907-923, December.

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