Embedding landfill diversion in economic,geographical and policy settings

We analyse the process of landfill diversion embedding the dynamics in a frame where economic, geographical and policy variables enter the arena. We aim at investigating in depth what main drivers may be responsible for such a phenomenon. We exploit a rich panel dataset covering all the 103 Italian provinces. The case study on Italy is worth being considered provided that Italy is a main country in the EU, thus offering important pieces of information on the evaluation of policies. Evidence shows that the observed decoupling between economic growth and landfilling is driven by a mix of structural factors, as population density and waste management strategies. If on the one hand, the landfill tax is not arising as a significant driver of the phenomenon, other waste management instruments are associated with high significant negative effect on landfilled waste. In association to the features of the tariff system, we also underline the key role played by the share of separated collection in driving down landfilling of waste. Both the evolution of collection and tariff system are joint factors that may drive a wedge between the comparative waste performances of northern and southern regions.