Same material different recycling standards: comparing the municipal solid waste standards of the European Union, South Korea and the USA

Abstract

Extant comparative research in municipal solid waste (MSW) management has conducted analyses across multiple countries and regions in an attempt to identify successful MSW management practices and increase MSW recycling. Furthermore, international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) have published annual reports discussing the status quo of MSW management and recycling practices in their member countries. As the characterisation of waste and recyclables varies across nations, comparability problems can occur. Nonetheless, extant research has not yet conducted a national-level comparison of MSW characterisation and calculation methods across multiple countries. The current study attempts to fill this gap by investigating the variations in MSW definitions and calculation standards in the European Union (EU), South Korea and the USA The findings indicate that recycling performance fluctuates significantly depending on which standard is adopted. South Korea is found to use the most conservative standards, yet its recycling rate is the highest regardless of which standard is applied. Future directions and implications for both research and practice are discussed.