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Waste Sector Structure: Institutional Capacity for Planning Waste Reduction
Author(s) -
Wolsink Maarten,
De Jong Paulien
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-9663
pISSN - 0040-747X
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9663.00147
Subject(s) - unbundling , business , waste collection , reduction (mathematics) , municipal solid waste , waste management , environmental economics , industrial organization , economics , engineering , geometry , mathematics
This paper examines some major institutional factors determining the possibilities for successful waste reduction policies. In a multiple case study, four geographically defined cases of markets for municipal solid waste are compared on four core elements in the sector structure. It shows that the structure is shaping institutional capacity for achieving waste reduction. This capacity is determined mainly by combined structural elements. Privatisation, for example, should definitely not be seen as the only effective solution. Only under very specific conditions (unbundling and separation of functions) can privatisation have positive results. On the other hand, when authorities act as regulators, they should not have interests in waste collection and disposal. They should stick to either regulation, collection or disposal.