Measuring Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection Services

Like other public services (water, energy and gas), Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been studied to observe the determinants of cost variations among environmental and operational variables. The current paper studies the determinants of efficiency in waste collection, observing 40 municipalities in the north-west of Verona province. Economic efficiency was measured using the ratio of costs to tons of waste collected per year, which was then related to eight operational and environmental variables that according to the literature could affect it. The quality of services was measured with waste separation percentage. The independent variables chosen reflect socio-demographic conditions and organizational choices. A key finding was that efficiency and quality of services increase when high density populated areas are served. Efficiency also increases with household density. Finally, curbside collection is more expensive than street bins, but the waste separation percentage achieved is higher and is positively affected by economies of experience.