A Cross-Country Study of Household Waste Prevention and Recycling: Assessing the Effectiveness of Policy Instruments

With worldwide concern for how and where to dispose of household waste, policy makers are increasingly looking for tools to efficiently and effectively reduce the amount of waste households produce. Using a comprehensive household-level data set involving 10,251 respondents from a cross-section of 10 countries (Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden), we examine waste policy, recycling behavior, and waste prevention. Unlike previous work, we empirically make comparisons across countries, incorporate attitudinal characteristics and a wide range of policy instruments, and allow for interdependence of decisions about recycling different materials.