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Picking up Savings: The Benefits of Competition in Municipal Waste Services

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Dachis

    (C.D. Howe Institute)

Abstract
Cities save money through competitive tendering of waste services contracts. This study finds municipalities that have their waste services provided through contracted operations have substantially lower average costs per household than municipalities with few of their services provided through contracts. The study shows that where city employees provide the bulk of waste services, such as in Toronto (and many other cities in Ontario), Vancouver, and Calgary, municipalities could reduce the costs of their waste services through increased contracting. Contracting can also be used to attain other goals, such as increased recycling rates, if municipalities provide incentive payments for contractors who meet their targets. The study, which analyzes the finances of hundreds of cities in Ontario, also finds cost savings from contracting will be apparent only if municipalities follow certain guidelines. Contracts should clearly define outcomes, and not specific processes, that contractors must meet.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Dachis, 2010. "Picking up Savings: The Benefits of Competition in Municipal Waste Services," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 308, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdh:commen:308
    as

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    File URL: https://www.cdhowe.org/picking-savings-benefits-competition-municipal-waste-services
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Philippe Bergevin & David Laidler, 2010. "Room for Manoeuvre – Monetary Policy Over the Next Eighteen Months, and the Allure of Price-Level Targeting," e-briefs 97, C.D. Howe Institute.
    2. Daniel Boothby & Torben Drewes, 2010. "The Payoff: Returns to University, College and Trades Education in Canada, 1980 to 2005," e-briefs 104, C.D. Howe Institute.
    3. Williamson, Oliver, 2009. "The Theory of the Firm as Governance Structure: From Choice to Contract," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 6, pages 111-134, December.
    4. Philippe Bergevin, 2010. "Addicted to Ratings: The Case for Reducing Governments’ Reliance on Credit Ratings," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 130, May.
    5. Walls, Margaret, 2003. "How Local Governments Structure Contracts with Private Firms: Economic Theory and Evidence on Solid Waste and Recycling Contracts," Discussion Papers 10707, Resources for the Future.
    6. Dave Sawyer & Carolyn Fischer, 2010. "Better Together? The Implications of Linking Canada-US Greenhouse Gas Policies," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 307, August.
    7. Lawrence L. Herman, 2010. "Trend Spotting: NAFTA Disputes After Fifteen Years," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 133, July.
    8. Benjamin Dachis & Robert Hebdon, 2010. "The Laws of Unintended Consequence: The Effect of Labour Legislation on Wages and Strikes," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 304, June.
    9. Colin Busby & Benjamin Dachis & William B.P. Robson, 2010. "Unbalanced Books: How to Improve Toronto’s Fiscal Accountability," e-briefs 103, C.D. Howe Institute.
    10. Macauley, Molly & Walls, Margaret & Anderson, Soren, 2002. "The Organization of Local Solid Waste and Recycling Markets: Public and Private Provision of Services," RFF Working Paper Series dp-02-35-rev, Resources for the Future.
    11. Alexandre Laurin, 2010. "Le Budget 2010 du Québec: Effets sur la taille et la progressivité du fardeau fiscal," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 132, July.
    12. John Richards, 2010. "Reducing Lone-Parent Poverty: A Canadian Success Story," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 305, June.
    13. Colin Busby, 2010. "Manitoba’s Demographic Challenge: Why Improving Aboriginal Education Outcomes Is Vital for Economic Prosperity," e-briefs 99, C.D. Howe Institute.
    14. Angelo Melino & Michael Parkin, 2010. "Greater Transparency Needed," e-briefs 102, C.D. Howe Institute.
    15. Jim MacGee, 2010. "Not Here? Housing Market Policy and the Risk of a Housing Bust," e-briefs 105, C.D. Howe Institute.
    16. Robert Knox, 2010. "Who Can Work Where: Reducing Barriers to Labour Mobility in Canada," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 131, June.
    17. Martin Cave & Adrian Foster, 2010. "Solving Spectrum Gridlock: Reforms to Liberalize Radio Spectrum Management in Canada in the Face of Growing Scarcity," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 303, May.
    18. Jan Carr, 2010. "Power Sharing: Developing Inter-Provincial Electricity Trade," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 306, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre Siklos & Andrew Spence, 2010. "Faceoff: Should the Bank of Canada Release its Projections of the Interest Rate Path? – The Cases For and Against," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 134, October.
    2. Benjamin Dachis, 2013. "How Ottawa Can Deliver a Reformed Canada Post," e-briefs 162, C.D. Howe Institute.
    3. Bob Baldwin & Brian FitzGerald, 2010. "Seeking Certainty in Uncertain Times: A Review of Recent Government-Sponsored Studies on the Regulation of Canadian Pension Plans," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 310, September.
    4. Benjamin Dachis, 2017. "New and Improved: How to Bring Institutional Investment into Public Infrastructure," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 473, March.
    5. Clyde Goodlet, 2010. "Too Big to Fail: A Misguided Policy in Times of Financial Turmoil," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 311, October.
    6. Angelo Melino, 2011. "Moving Monetary Policy Forward: Why Small Steps - and a Lower Inflation Target - Make Sense for the Bank of Canada," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 319, January.
    7. Benjamin Dachis, 2018. "Hosing Homebuyers: Why Cities Should Not Pay for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure with Development Charges," e-briefs 281, C.D. Howe Institute.
    8. Daniel Schwanen, 2013. "Uneasy Birth: What Canadians Should Expect from a Canada-EU Trade Deal," e-briefs 163, C.D. Howe Institute.
    9. Kevin D. Moore & William Robson & Alexandre Laurin, 2010. "Canada’s Looming Retirement Challenge: Will Future Retirees Be Able to Maintain Their Living Standards upon Retirement?," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 317, December.
    10. David C. Allan & Philippe Bergevin, 2010. "The Canadian ABS Market: Where Do We Go From Here?," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 315, November.
    11. David Longworth, 2010. "Warding Off Financial Market Failure: How to Avoid Squeezed Margins and Bad Haircuts," C.D. Howe Institute Backgrounder, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 135, December.
    12. Philippe Bergevin & David Laidler, 2010. "Putting Money Back into Monetary Policy: A Monetary Anchor for Price and Financial Stability," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 312, October.
    13. Stuart Landon & Constance Smith, 2010. "Energy Prices and Alberta Government Revenue Volatility," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 313, November.
    14. Andrew Green & Michael Trebilcock, 2010. "The Eco-Fee Imbroglio: Lessons from Ontario’s Troubled Experiment in Charging for Waste Management," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 316, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban Issues; competitive tendering; waste services contracts; Ontario; municipalities; contracting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories

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