Does simplification of plastic waste separation promote plastic recycling?

Abstract

This study explores the effects of a policy intervention designed to simplify the standards for plastic waste separation on collection volume and the quality of recyclables. We employ a causal impact analysis based on a Bayesian structural time-series approach to estimate the effects of simplifying the municipal solid waste-separation process for plastic waste in Japan. We find that simplifying plastic waste-separation standards increases plastic packaging waste-collection volume. This effect seems to be largely driven by behavioral changes such as decreased time spent on waste separation. We also find that simplifying home separation increases the percentage of contaminated plastic packaging waste collected for recycling and other materials not subject to collection in the post-collection period. Several robustness and falsification tests corroborated these results. Our results highlight the importance of considering the trade-off between the quantity and quality of recyclables when designing plastic waste recycling policies.