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A Statistical Estimation of an Operating Cost Function for Municipal Refuse Collection

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  • Harry M. Kitchen

    (Trent University, Ontario)

Abstract

This study is both an attempt to isolate those factors which contribute to the variation in average unit costs of collecting refuse and an attempt to examine the extent to which economies of scale exist. The model employed states that the average per capita cost to a municipality is a function of five categories of factors. Within the categories, a number of variables were postulated to have some significant effect on the per unit cost. However, the unavailability of some data and lack of variation in other data reduced the actual model so that in the final analysis ten variables were found to significantly affect costs. The results from the sample indicated that average costs increased in municipalities with populations of up to 324,000 and only began to fall when cities exceeded this size. A number of other variables exerted in one direction or another a significant effect on costs. A further statistical analysis of this sort may prove to be rather fruitless. What is perhaps needed is a more in-depth descriptive analysis of the institutional implications of the factors affecting the whole operation of refuse collection.

Suggested Citation

  • Harry M. Kitchen, 1976. "A Statistical Estimation of an Operating Cost Function for Municipal Refuse Collection," Public Finance Review, , vol. 4(1), pages 56-76, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:4:y:1976:i:1:p:56-76
    DOI: 10.1177/109114217600400105
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bodkin, Ronald G & Conklin, David W, 1971. "Scale and Other Determinants of Municipal Government Expenditures in Ontario: A Quantitative Analysis," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 12(3), pages 465-481, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bozec, Richard, 2004. "L’analyse comparative de la performance entre les entreprises publiques et les entreprises privées : le problème de mesure et son impact sur les résultats," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 80(4), pages 619-654, Décembre.
    2. Núria Bosch & Francisco Pedraja & Javier Suárez-Pandiello, 2001. "The efficiency of refuse collection services in Spanish municipalities: do non-controllable variables matter?," Working Papers 2001/4, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    3. Tawil, Natalie, 1999. "Flow Control and Rent Capture in Solid Waste Management," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 183-201, March.
    4. Germa Bel & Anton Costas, 2004. "Do public sector reforms get rusty? An empirical analysis on privatization of solid waste collection," Public Economics 0409014, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Navarro-Espigares, José Luis & Martín-Segura, José Aureliano & Pérez-López, César & Maraver-Tarifa, Guillermo, 2018. "Waste Management in the Spanish Municipalities: Is Commitment to Local Agenda 21 more than good Intentions?," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 40, pages 35-56.
    6. Werner W. Pommerehne & Charles Beat Blankart, 1979. "Les économies d'échelles dans les services urbains," Revue Économique, Programme National Persée, vol. 30(2), pages 338-354.
    7. Soukopová, Jana & Vaceková, Gabriela & Klimovský, Daniel, 2017. "Local waste management in the Czech Republic: Limits and merits of public-private partnership and contracting out," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 201-209.
    8. Rosalia Castellano & Gaetano Musella & Gennaro Punzo, 2019. "The effect of environmental attitudes and policies on separate waste collection: the case of Insular Italy," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 63-85, April.
    9. James Bennett & Manuel Johnson, 1979. "Public versus private provision of collective goods and services: garbage collection revisited," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 55-63, March.

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