Critical Review of the Cost-Benefit Analysis in the Literature on Municipal Solid Waste Management

T. J. Lah

International Review of Public Administration, 2002, vol. 7, issue 1, 137-145

Abstract: This paper reviews the municipal solid waste management (MSW) literature with particular respect to the cost-benefit analysis of MSW management alternatives. To diagnose the state of the field, the author examined the studies that use the cost-benefit approach in analyzing the MSW management. The review reveals a few important research notes. First, the current literature does not offer an example of a comprehensive and objective cost-benefit model for comparing MSW management options. Second, a systematic measurement of environmental benefits of MSW management methods was not found. Third, recycling may be cost-competitive depending on the situations. However, these circumstances are not clearly identified. And, lastly, few of the current cost-benefit studies discuss the methodological issues such as standing in a systematic way. These findings suggest that the subject of MSW management still lacks comprehensive and rigorous research that may guide both researchers and practitioners to the making of effective MSW management decisions.

Date: 2002
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/12294659.2002.10804999 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:rrpaxx:v:7:y:2002:i:1:p:137-145

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RRPA20

DOI: 10.1080/12294659.2002.10804999

Access Statistics for this article

International Review of Public Administration is currently edited by Ralph Brower

More articles in International Review of Public Administration from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().