Economic and Environmental Benefits from Municipal Solid Waste Recycling in the Murmansk Region

Anton Orlov, Elena Klyuchnikova and Anna Korppoo
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Anton Orlov: CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Pb. 1129 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
Elena Klyuchnikova: Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok 14A, 184209 Apatity, Russia
Anna Korppoo: Polar and Russian Politics Department, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, P.O. Box 326, 1326 Lysaker, Norway

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-10

Abstract: Most municipal solid waste (MSW) in Russia is disposed of in landfills, and only a relatively small fraction is recycled. The landfilling of waste leads to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and air and groundwater pollution. However, recently, there have been some initiatives to improve waste management in the country. We assessed the economic and environmental benefits of waste recycling in the Murmansk region, in which a new waste recycling plant has been operating since 2019. We found that MSW recycling in the Murmansk region has induced a small, positive, job creation effect and could potentially lead to a non-negligible reduction in GHG emissions. Extrapolating the results from this case study to the country level, we found that recycling landfilled MSW in Russia could save approximately 154 million tons of GHG emissions in carbon dioxide equivalents annually, which is comparable to the total CO 2 emissions from Algeria. The positive environmental and health-related impacts from the extensive implementation of MSW recycling in the country could be substantial. From this case study, we also learned that one of the biggest challenges for the waste recycling company in the Murmansk region is finding profitable markets for recycled materials. Moreover, due to the high investment and operational costs, recycling MSW led to a substantial increase in communal fees. However, there is potential to make waste recycling more cost effective. Most MSW in the Murmansk region is still separated at the recycling plant, while separating waste at the source could substantially reduce operational costs. Other challenges in the large-scale implementation of MSW recycling in Russia, such as a lack of investments and the population’s willingness to recycle waste, are also discussed.

Keywords: municipal solid waste; recycling; Russia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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