--English version below--
Die vorliegende Seminararbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage inwieweit Recycling als sinnvoll und lohnenswert anzusehen ist. Spezifisch wird das vorhandene System des Glasrecycling in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland auf zuvor präsentierte theoretische und empirische wissenschaftli-che Zusammenstellungen hin verglichen. Dabei wird der technische Prozess des Recycling fast gänzlich außer Acht gelassen. Vielmehr werden Bezahlstrukturen und Anreizmodelle für Haus-halte und Unternehmen betrachtet. Es wird dabei sowohl das Duale System Deutschland als auch das System der Mehrwegflaschen berücksichtigt. Schlussfolgernd kann festgehalten wer-den, dass die derzeitige Struktur zwar nicht alle zuvor präsentierte Ergebnisse optimal implemen-tiert, jedoch die realen Gegebenheiten und Interaktionen mit anderen Materialen hinreichend berücksichtigt. Insofern wird das System des Glasrecycling in Deutschland aus ökologischer und ökonomischer Perspektive durchaus positiv bewertet.
The paper at hand tackles the question of recycling being sensible and social desirable. In fact, the current German glass recycling system is going to be compared to theoretical as well as empirical findings which are presented first. The technical process of recycling is going to be neglected. The focus is rather on payment schemes and incentives regarding the consumer as well as the industry side. Both streams of glass recycling(the Duale System Deutschland and the system of reusable bottles) are taken into account. Thus, one can sum up, that not all of the aforementioned results are incorporated into the current German system. However, real world circumstances as well as interactions with other materials are adequate considered. The final assessment from an ecological and economical point of view is consequently positive.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Optimal Recycling Model
2.1 Amount of Recycling
2.2 Household’s Behaviour
2.3 Social Costs
3 Empirical Recycling Determinants
3.1 Recycling Behaviour / Recycling Shopping Behaviour
3.2 Glass Recycling
3.3 Cost-Benefit-Analysis
4 Process of Glass Recycling
5 Glass Recycling in Germany
5.1 Municipal Glass Waste Management System
5.2 Policy Proposals
6 Conclusion
Research Objectives & Topics
This paper examines whether recycling is a sensible and socially desirable practice, focusing specifically on the German municipal glass recycling system. It evaluates the efficiency of current structures by comparing them against theoretical models and empirical findings regarding consumer behavior and incentive schemes.
- Theoretical models of optimal recycling and social welfare.
- Empirical determinants of household recycling behavior.
- Evaluation of the German Duales System and deposit-refund schemes.
- Comparison of glass recycling with other packaging materials.
- Analysis of policy effectiveness in promoting circular flow economies.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
According to the ‘spaceship earth’ metaphor, first introduced by Kenneth E. Boulding in 1966, the earth can be considered as a closed system, where no resources can either enter or leave the ‘spaceship’. This metaphor has been commonly used to introduce the role and importance of recycling in a desirable circular flow economy. Therefore, economies should not use more resources than they are able to reuse. The minimization of external by-products of the industry should be seen as one of the main goals. This can be considered as a quite foresighted perspective in 1966.
However, implementing this idea into policy decisions and even reaching the goal of a circular flow economy is taking some time. Germany, which can be considered as a pioneer in municipal waste management, aims for a circular flow economy, at least for municipal solid waste, by 2020.
Most definitions consider recycling as the reuse of resources while other include also the extraction of industrial by-products from nature. However, with this technical point of view from the latter one, recycling is better considered in terms of energy. Using the idea of how much energy is needed for a specific recycling process, the optimal amount of recycling, as well as the technical efficiency of a given system might be evaluated. But as this paper is less concerned about technical procedures and more about the management of a recycling system and the behaviour of the different players within this system, the German legal definition will be used throughout this paper. This definition is well defined and of better practices for this paper than the more technical ones. Therefore, only the substitution of industrial inputs by resources gained from waste can be considered as recycling, which also excludes possible energy generation from waste.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides the theoretical motivation based on the 'spaceship earth' metaphor and sets the scope for examining the German glass recycling system.
2 Optimal Recycling Model: Summarizes theoretical approaches to determining optimal recycling levels, household behavior models, and the social costs of recycling efforts.
3 Empirical Recycling Determinants: Reviews empirical studies on household participation in recycling, analyzing the role of private values, social norms, and economic incentives.
4 Process of Glass Recycling: Explains the physical and chemical properties of glass that make it a highly sustainable material for repeated recycling and reuse.
5 Glass Recycling in Germany: Analyzes the implementation of Germany's glass waste management, focusing on the Duales System and existing deposit-refund regulations.
6 Conclusion: Assesses the overall efficacy of the German system and suggests that promoting private values is more effective than relying solely on economic incentives.
Keywords
Recycling, Glass Recycling, Germany, Circular Flow Economy, Household Behavior, Optimal Recycling Model, Deposit-Refund System, Social Costs, Duales System, Waste Management, Environmental Economics, Sustainability, Policy Proposals, Extrinsic Motivations, Intrinsic Motivations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper evaluates the economic and ecological efficiency of Germany's municipal solid glass waste management system.
What are the primary thematic areas?
The study covers theoretical recycling models, empirical household behavior, the specific process of glass recycling, and German national policy.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to determine if current recycling practices in Germany are efficient and to analyze how they align with optimal welfare models.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper performs a comparative analysis, evaluating theoretical frameworks and existing empirical literature to assess the performance of the German system.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body discusses optimal control and MILP models, empirical findings on 'warm glow' effects and social norms, and the specific mechanics of the German deposit-refund and collection systems.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Recycling, Glass Recycling, Germany, Household Behavior, Social Costs, and Circular Flow Economy.
How does the 'warm glow' effect influence the findings?
The paper uses the 'warm glow' concept to describe non-pecuniary intrinsic motivations for recycling, which are found to be highly influential in household participation.
Why is the German glass system considered a potential role model?
It is viewed as a role model due to significant reductions in landfill usage and high recycling rates achieved through a combination of industry-funded systems and deposit-refund incentives.
What is the conclusion regarding economic versus intrinsic incentives?
The author concludes that while economic incentives are significant, intrinsic motivations like private values and social norms are often more effective drivers for sustainable recycling participation.
- Quote paper
- Roman Fischer (Author), 2011, Is recycling sensible?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/184268
