2013 Volume 6 Issue 1 Pages 6-17
This paper reviews my resent research on economic analysis of waste management, focusing on reduction of social costs. The paper clarifies that industrial waste taxation does not significantly decrease the amount of waste disposed of in landfills, while unit-based pricing system for solid waste services decreases the amount incinerated, dumped, and the generation of municipal solid waste. The paper examines public preferences when choosing a siting plan for a landfill and estimates the external costs of landfill siting. The results of this analysis clearly show that the residents evaluate accepting waste originating from outside their community quite negatively, especially industrial waste. In addition, the paper indicates that providing the residents with more information and augmenting communication between local officials and the residents can mitigate public anxiety while compensation does not necessarily mitigate it. Based on this review, I discuss the issue of economic approach concerning waste policy, and the applicability of environmental valuation methods to siting of waste disposal facilities.
