Economics of Solid Waste Collection, Hauling, and Disposal: Implications for Managers

摘要

The trend in the United States towards interstate shipments of solid waste has often met with resistance by citizens and policymakers in importing states. Interstate shipments have also been challenged in the courts. This paper describes and analyzes the most recent, new challenge to interstate waste flows and the implications for waste management. After years of litigation, a US federal court has ruled that a particular type of regulation of the solid waste market, a certificate process, is illegal because it impedes interstate shipments. This paper first describes salient characteristics of solid waste collection, hauling, and disposal in terms of nationwide trends and examples of state and local practices. The paper then describes the basis of these trends for the court's ruling and its implications for managing waste markets.