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

Figure 59-12: Residual Waste per Inhabitant Related to Charge Scheme
Note: OMB (kg/hab.an) = Residual Waste per Inhabitant per Year
59.9.1.2 Levy Based on Average Residual Quantities
The second approach generates a relatively unpredictable target, but it has the merit
of avoiding the setting of targets which prove to be impossible to achieve (under
existing frameworks). Authorities would have an incentive always to be operating with
above average performance (lower quantities of residual waste than others) so as to
avoid charges and receive refunds. This ought to imply that the average residual
waste per household trends continuously downwards.
In a slightly dystopian outcome, this approach may promote cross-authority
cooperation to maintain relatively conservative and constant quantities of residual
waste arisings, but even here, there would be a considerable incentive to cheat, or to
stay out of such a collusive arrangement.
The target is set as the annual average quantity of residual waste per household and
establishes accountability for every authority because evidently the average is, by
definition, attainable. More interesting variants could apply levies on the excess
which increase as the magnitude of the excess changes.
59.9.2 Scenario Examples
In Table 59-5, we show how such a levy might function in the case where there are 4
authorities, two whose arisings exceed the target level (expressed in terms of kg per
inhabitant per annum – the figures are indicative only) and two who have residual
waste quantities below the target level.
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International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes
Red= No scheme
Yellow = Volume-based
Grey = Weight-based
Development of Charging Scheme Types