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List of contents
Preface
Economics and Waste: An Introduction
Part 1. Solid Waste Creation, Collection, and Disposal
Business Waste
Household Waste Collection
Solid Waste Landfills
Illegal Disposal and Litter
Exporting and Importing Waste
Part 2. Recycling Solid Waste Products
Market Failure in Recycling
Economics of Recycling
Policies for Recycling
Logistics of Recycling
Markets for Recycling
Yard Waste and Composting
Part 3. Special Waste Categories
Hazardous Waste
Superfund
Radioactive Waste
Part 4. Final Thoughts
What Have We Learned?
References
Index
About the Author
About the author
Richard C. Porter is professor emeritus in the Department of Economics at the University of Michigan. His previous books include Economics at the Wheel: The Costs of Cars and Drivers and Economics of Water and Waste: A Case Study of Jakarta, Indonesia.
Summary
In this concise, engaging, and provocative work, Richard Porter introduces readers to the economic tools that can be applied to problems involved in handling a diverse range of waste products from business and households. Emphasizing the impossibility of achieving a zero-risk environment, Porter focuses on the choices that apply in real world decisions about waste. Acknowledging that effective waste policy integrates knowledge from several disciplines, Porter focuses on the use of economic analysis to reveal the costs of different policies and therefore how much can be done to meet goals to protect human health and the environment. With abundant examples, he considers subjects such as landfills, incineration, and illegal disposal. He discusses the international trade in waste, the costs and benefits of recycling, and special topics such as hazardous materials, Superfund, and nuclear waste. While making clear his belief that not every form of waste presents the same amount of risk, Porter stresses the need for open-minded approaches to developing new policies. For students, policymakers, and general readers, he provides insight and accessibility to a subject that others might leave out-of-sight, out-of-mind, or buried under an impenetrable prose of statistics and jargon.
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'Informative and thoughtprovoking. Porter challenges the reader to think about the issues, making clear that the 'right' answer may not be set in stone.'
Amy W. Ando, University of Illinois
'A comprehensive, careful, and interesting treatment.'
Terry M. Dinan, Congressional Budget Office
