International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

counterfactual. This type of approach is surprisingly rare in case studies, though some
reports make comparisons between areas with, and areas without charging systems
in place over a given period of time. Bischof et. al., for example, compares areas with
differential charging in Switzerland (where ‘residual’ waste reduced by 30%) with
areas with a flat fee for disposal (where residual waste collected increased by up to
13%). 164
Even where studies look to assess overall waste reduction, there are some key
caveats which need to be borne in mind when looking at much of the literature:
129
� First of all, and probably most importantly, many studies appear (it is not
always made clear) to concentrate on door-to-door collections of waste and do
not take a ‘whole system’ view (e.g. how the quantity of waste taken to Civic
Amenity (CA) sites changes in the wake of the charging system’s
implementation); and
� Second, there is ongoing discussion as to the underlying cause of the
‘disappearing waste’. Not all studies seek to explain the changes witnessed or
reported.
8.5.2.2 General Themes: Recycling
The effects of charging on recycling are much more broadly recognised and widely
documented, not least because the impact is much easier to measure and
demonstrate in comparison to prevention.
The trends demonstrated in the data in Figure 8-1 shown above for Ghent and
Destelbergen are commonly observed following the introduction of charging schemes
– material separated for recycling increasing significantly. Where prevention effects
are strong, quantities recycled/composted may not increase so sharply, but the
proportion recycled/composted clearly increases. Evidence discussed in the following
sections goes on to qualify observed impacts on recycling in a range of situations.
Three factors in particular have a strong influence on the impact of PAYT schemes:
• The pre-scheme situation. Other things being equal, where there are lower
levels of recycling prior to PAYT, the impact of charging may appear more
significant;
• Recycling system changes. The introduction of PAYT is often accompanied by
improvements to recycling collection systems or centralised recycling facility
provision. This makes the impacts of charging alone less easy to isolate;
• The nature (and level) of charges. We investigate further in the following
sections how different approaches to charging (pay by weight, pay by volume
etc.) tend to perform in operation.
Headline results from the VBWF in Korea have been impressive both in terms of the
impact on waste prevention and recycling. As shown in Figure 8-3, total waste
164 R. Bischof, M. Chardonnens, M. Hugi, M. Textor, D. Lehmann, W. Siebert and K. Ammon (2003) La
Taxe au Sac Vue par la Population et les Communes, Cahier de L’Environment 357, Berne: OFEPF
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes