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Waste and organized crime in regional environments

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  • D’Amato, Alessio
  • Mazzanti, Massimiliano
  • Nicolli, Francesco

Abstract

Waste management and disposal are influenced by socio-economic, institutional and policy factors that possess idiosyncratic features in regional settings. The role of organized crime is a largely unexplored factor. Crime organizations such as the mafia are known to collude with local institutions to control waste markets. As a result, legal forms of waste disposal and socially preferable management options are often undermined primarily through an influence on policy enforcement. Given its high regional heterogeneity and local ‘waste crises’, Italy provides a compelling case for the study of crime's effects on local waste performance. Panel econometric analyses show that sorted collection of recyclable waste and legal forms of waste disposal are lower when the mafia's effect on the actions of local governments is more intense.

Suggested Citation

  • D’Amato, Alessio & Mazzanti, Massimiliano & Nicolli, Francesco, 2015. "Waste and organized crime in regional environments," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 185-201.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:resene:v:41:y:2015:i:c:p:185-201
    DOI: 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2015.04.003
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Organized crime; Waste management and disposal; Enforcement costs; Decentralized policy; Panel data; Municipal waste;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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