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Microchip bags and waste sorting

Author

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  • Matteo Picchio

    (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (Italy))

Abstract
We evaluate the effectiveness of placing microchips on the bags for the curbside collection in reducing the unsorted urban solid waste and increasing the fraction recycled. The microchip allows the waste collection company to identify the users that left the bags on the curb and check whether they properly sorted the waste. Our study is carried out in the Italian province of Macerata (Marche, Italy), where the bag microchips were introduced only in some municipalities in 2013. Exploiting monthly information on waste collection and natural experiment methods, we find that, two years after the programme start, the bag microchip increased the fraction recycled by 3-4.5 percentage points and decreased the monthly unsorted waste by 1-2 kilograms per capita.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo Picchio, 2021. "Microchip bags and waste sorting," Working Papers 449, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    • Handle: RePEc:anc:wpaper:449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Keywords: Recycling behavior; unsorted waste; microchip bags; natural experiment; difference-in-differences; synthetic control method;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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