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Disposal is Not Free: Fiscal Instruments to Internalize the Environmental Costs of Solid Waste
Author:
Ms. Thornton Matheson
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Series:
IMF Working Papers
Volume/Issue:
Volume 2019: Issue 283
Language:
English
Publication Date:
20 Dec 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513521589.001
ISBN:
9781513521589
ISSN:
1018-5941
Pages:
36
Keywords:
WP; waste disposal; property tax; disposal cost; generation rate; government waste management plan; local government; environmental tax; solid waste; plastic bag tax; recycling; landfill tax; tipping fee; advance disposal fee; deposit-refund; extended producer responsibility; virgin material tax; waste generation; Income; Consumption; Public expenditure review; Greenhouse gas emissions; Global; Africa
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IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.
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This paper provides an overview of global solid waste generation, its environmental costs, and fiscal instruments that can be used to encourage waste reduction and finance proper disposal. Countries—especially island nations--struggle to manage an ever-increasing volume of solid waste, generation of which is projected to exceed 2 billion tons a year by 2025. Although solid waste management is usually relegated to subnational governments, externalities from inadequate management, which include greenhouse gas emissions and ocean plastic pollution, reach global scale. National governments thus play a critical role in creating incentives for waste minimization and ensuring adequate resources for proper waste management. This paper evaluates potential fiscal instruments to achieve these goals, particularly in developing country policy environments.
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Cover IMF Working Papers
IMF Working Papers
ISSN:
1018-5941
Publisher:
International Monetary Fund