IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/envpol/v4y2001i3d10.1007_bf03354015.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On inefficiency and instability in decentralized recycling systems

Author

Listed:
  • Kazuhiko Nishimura

    (Nihon Fukushi University)

Abstract

We identify a source of inefficiency in decentralized recycling systems by taking into account the technological characteristics of recycling activity. We show that competitive market promotion cannot obtain Pareto efficient allocations when the recycling agent perceives recyclables of any quality as perfect substitutes while its productivity is dependent on the quality of the recyclables available. We further demonstrate the instability of the system by investigating the economic adjustment process in the presence of such external effects. Our results suggest that policy interventions that oblige the primary producer to recycle would eliminate these obstacles.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazuhiko Nishimura, 2001. "On inefficiency and instability in decentralized recycling systems," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 4(3), pages 191-210, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envpol:v:4:y:2001:i:3:d:10.1007_bf03354015
    DOI: 10.1007/BF03354015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/BF03354015
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/BF03354015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dreze, Jacques H & Hagen, Kare P, 1978. "Choice of Product Quality: Equilibrium and Efficiency," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(3), pages 493-513, May.
    2. Perloff, Jeffrey M & Salop, Steven, 1984. "Equilibrium with product differentiation," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt4cq0m6s3, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    3. Don Fullerton & Wenbo Wu, 2002. "Policies for Green Design," Chapters, in: Don Fullerton & Thomas C. Kinnaman (ed.), The Economics of Household Garbage and Recycling Behavior, chapter 5, pages 102-119, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Don Fullerton & Thomas C. Kinnaman, 2002. "Garbage, Recycling, and Illicit Burning or Dumping," Chapters, in: Don Fullerton & Thomas C. Kinnaman (ed.), The Economics of Household Garbage and Recycling Behavior, chapter 2, pages 49-62, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Walls, Margaret & Palmer, Karen, 2001. "Upstream Pollution, Downstream Waste Disposal, and the Design of Comprehensive Environmental Policies," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 94-108, January.
    6. Leland, Hayne E, 1977. "Quality Choice and Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(2), pages 127-137, March.
    7. Choe, Chongwoo & Fraser, Iain, 1999. "An Economic Analysis of Household Waste Management," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 234-246, September.
    8. Jeffrey M. Perloff & Steven C. Salop, 1985. "Equilibrium with Product Differentiation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 52(1), pages 107-120.
    9. Eichner, Thomas & Pethig, Rudiger, 2001. "Product Design and Efficient Management of Recycling and Waste Treatment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 109-134, January.
    10. Mas-Colell, Andreu & Whinston, Michael D. & Green, Jerry R., 1995. "Microeconomic Theory," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195102680.
    11. Vernon L. Smith, 1972. "Dynamics of Waste Accumulation: Disposal versus Recycling," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 86(4), pages 600-616.
    12. Richard H. Day, 1994. "Complex Economic Dynamics - Vol. 1: An Introduction to Dynamical Systems and Market Mechanisms," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262041413, April.
    13. Kiminori Matsuyama, 1997. "Complementarity, Instability and Multiplicity," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 48(3), pages 240-265, September.
    14. Starrett, David A., 1972. "Fundamental nonconvexities in the theory of externalities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 180-199, April.
    15. Lusky, Rafael, 1975. "Optimal taxation policies for conservation and recycling," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 315-328, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kazuhiko Nishimura, 2001. "On inefficiency and instability in decentralized recycling systems," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 4(3), pages 191-210, September.
    2. Calcott, Paul & Walls, Margaret, 2005. "Waste, recycling, and "Design for Environment": Roles for markets and policy instruments," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 287-305, November.
    3. Matthew Gunter, 2007. "Do Economists Reach a Conclusion on Household and Municipal Recycling?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 4(1), pages 83-111, January.
    4. Reyer Gerlagh & Etienne Lorang, 2024. "Material Source and Waste Taxes in Competitive Equilibrium," CESifo Working Paper Series 11091, CESifo.
    5. Francisco J. André & Emilio Cerdá, 2005. "Gestión de residuos sólidos urbanos: Análisis económico y políticas públicas," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2005/23, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    6. Lafforgue, Gilles & Lorang, Etienne, 2022. "Recycling under environmental, climate and resource constraints," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    7. Marco Runkel, 2003. "Product Durability and Extended Producer Responsibility in Solid Waste Management," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(2), pages 161-182, February.
    8. Egger, Peter & Keuschnigg, Christian, 2023. "Resource Dependence, Recycling, and Trade," Economics Working Paper Series 2306, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    9. Eiji B. Hosoda, 2014. "An Analysis of Sorting and Recycling of Household Waste: A neo-Ricardian Approach," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(1), pages 58-94, February.
    10. Calcott, Paul & Walls, Margaret, 2000. "Policies to Encourage Recycling and "Design for Environment": What to Do When Markets Are Missing," Discussion Papers 10567, Resources for the Future.
    11. Thomas Eichner & Rüdiger Pethig, 2003. "Corrective Taxation for Curbing Pollution and Promoting Green Product Design and Recycling," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 25(4), pages 477-500, August.
    12. Ino, Hiroaki, 2011. "Optimal environmental policy for waste disposal and recycling when firms are not compliant," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 290-308, September.
    13. Asuncion Arner Guerre, 2022. "The Extended Producer Responsibility for Waste Oils," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(2), pages 210-217, March.
    14. De Beir, Jean & Fodha, Mouez & Magris, Francesco, 2010. "Life Cycle Of Products And Cycles," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(2), pages 212-230, April.
    15. Numata, Daisuke, 2009. "Economic analysis of deposit–refund systems with measures for mitigating negative impacts on suppliers," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 199-207.
    16. Carlos González & Natalia Serna, 2013. "The consumer’s choice among television displays: A multinomial logit approach," Lecturas de Economía, Universidad de Antioquia, Departamento de Economía, issue 79, pages 199-228.
    17. Takayoshi Shinkuma, 2003. "On the Second-best Policy of Household's Waste Recycling," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(1), pages 77-95, January.
    18. Walls, Margaret, 2003. "The Role of Economics in Extended Producer Responsibility: Making Policy Choices and Setting Policy Goals," Discussion Papers 10855, Resources for the Future.
    19. Richard Benjamin & Jeffrey Wagner, 2006. "Reconsidering the law and economics of low-level radioactive waste management," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 8(1), pages 33-53, December.
    20. Fleckinger, Pierre & Glachant, Matthieu, 2010. "The organization of extended producer responsibility in waste policy with product differentiation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 57-66, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:envpol:v:4:y:2001:i:3:d:10.1007_bf03354015. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.