On the value of households' recycling efforts

Annegrete Bruvoll and Karine Nyborg ()
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Annegrete Bruvoll and Karine Nyborg: Statistics Norway, http://www.ssb.no/english/research/
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Annegrete Bruvoll () and Karine Nyborg ()

Discussion Papers from Research Department of Statistics Norway

Abstract: Do households' recycling efforts represent a social cost, which should be taken into account in cost-benefit analyses of alternative waste treatment systems? Some argue that it should not, since recycling efforts are to a large extent voluntary. We demonstrate that if the government can indirectly increase voluntary recycling efforts through appeals to the public or through similar means, then the use of these means does impose a cost on households. This cost can be higher or lower than the environmental gain resulting from the increased recycling. Norwegian data indicates a willingness to pay to let others take over the individual’s sorting of household waste corresponding to a cost of about USD 87 per tonne, which is significant compared to the total treatment costs.

Keywords: Cost-benefit analysis; norms; recycling; time use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D11 D12 D61 D69 Q38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab
Date: 2002-03
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