6533b7d6fe1ef96bd12671f2
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Performance in the treatment of municipal waste: Are European Union member states so different?
Antonio MontañésAndrés J. Picazo-tadeoJuana Castillo-giménezsubject
Environmental EngineeringMunicipal solid waste010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciencesWaste framework directiveConvergence (economics)010501 environmental sciences01 natural sciencesPollutionAgricultural economicsEastern europeanWaste treatmentGreen growthPer capitaEnvironmental Chemistrymedia_common.cataloged_instanceBusinessEuropean unionWaste Management and Disposal0105 earth and related environmental sciencesmedia_commondescription
Abstract Efficient management and treatment of municipal waste is essential for achieving green growth. Recent studies have revealed convergence in European Union (EU) member states' performance in municipal waste treatment, particularly since the transposition of the 2008 European Waste Framework Directive into national laws. However, there are still notable differences between countries. In this paper, we calculate a composite indicator of performance in municipal waste treatment at the country-level. We also present an in-depth examination of differences in performance across EU member states. Our results show that the best performers—mainly high income Northern and Central European countries—treat larger quantities of waste per capita, mostly through recycling and composting and digestion. At the opposite end of the ranking, the worst performers—mostly poorer Eastern European countries—treat smaller amounts of waste per capita, largely through landfilling. Our main conclusion is that further policy measures aimed at reducing cross-country differences in waste treatment performance are needed in the EU.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-10-01 | The Science of the total environment |