Publication details
Municipal Waste and the Economy: Analyzing Evidence of Dematerialization in Germany and Its Implications for CEE Countries
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| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | While the European Union officially seeks to minimize household waste production, evidence suggests Europeans generate more waste every year. The situation in Germany is a good example, since the country has made dramatic efforts to encourage changes in production and consumption to achieve the goal of dematerialization, or the decoupling of economic growth from material inputs and pollution outputs. This paper uses data about municipal solid waste generation to test the hypothesis that dematerialization is occurring in the Germany economy, and analyzes the possible social and environmental impacts of the trends for neighboring nations. The paper examines the link between economic activity and waste generation, and finds mixed evidence that dematerialization is happening in Germany today. Despite innovative waste management policies based on technological innovation and economic incentives, waste generation rates continue to grow, measured both per capita and overall. The recent problem of illegal waste shipments from Germany to the Višegrad countries demonstrates that reducing the negative impacts of waste remains an elusive goal. |