Publication details
Economic Perspectives on International Waste Transport
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Environmental Economics, Policy and International Relations: Papers presented at 9th seminar of PhD students, young scientists and researchers of Visegrad group countries |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Economy |
| Keywords | Czech Republic; waste management; economic theory; waste shipment; environmental protection |
| Description | This paper explores the causes of the illegal waste transport problem between Germany and the Czech Republic, and identifies the positive and negative impacts of waste trade by reviewing economic theory and empirical studies. The recent history of illegal German waste imports to Bohemia in the northern Czech Republic is described and put in European context. The paper then reviews economic perspectives on the causes and effects of waste transport. The theory that both exporters and importers should benefit from waste trade, and that any negative impacts can be mitigated through the use of host fees, is critiqued. Even the legal waste trade can suffer from market failures and impose externalities that harm human health and the environment, suggesting that there is a legitimate role for regulating waste transport. The Czech case reveals that waste export is generally motivated by desire to evade costly waste management rules and undermines source reduction and recycling efforts. |