The impact of the policy of municipal solid waste source-separated collection on waste reduction: a case study of China

To fight against environmental pressure arising from growing municipal solid waste (MSW), the program of MSW source-separated collection has been launched in eight pilot cities of China since 2000. What is the impact of this pilot program on waste generation? Based on the city-level data for 1998-2012, this study examines its impact on per capita amount of MSW by employing panel data model and inverse probability weighting method. It is shown that the policy of MSW source-separated collection has insignificant influence on reduction of per capita quantity of MSW while consumption expenditure per capita, average household size and average education level significantly accelerate per capita waste generation. Although the program of MSW source separation has not led to significant waste reduction in our analysis, source separation has provided the basis for reuse, recycling and recovery of MSW by classifying waste into categories of recyclable and recycling materials. In response to the pressure of growing MSW as a result of industrialization, urbanization and economic growth, source separation is the best approach to waste management to reduce the burden of waste disposals. Therefore, it is necessary to facilitate public participation in source separation by adoption of mixed policies combining voluntary with mandatory as well as education approaches.