The brown side of the green economy: urban garbage and the zero-waste utopia

Antonio Massarutto ()

ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 2012, vol. 2012/3, issue 3, 81-110

Abstract: This article illustrates the result of a study based on the life-cycle costing technique applied to urban waste management in a typical Italian setting, in order to discuss the economic and ecological foundations of a management paradigm inspired by the "zero-waste" philosophy. We identify landfill availability as a critical natural capital requiring the adoption of strong sustainability indicators. We argue that the zero-waste approach is neither feasible nor desirable. Instead, strong arguments can be found in favour of a "zero-landfill" strategy, to be achieved through an adequate mix of material and energy recovery.

JEL-codes: H23 Q53 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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