Incentives towards sustainable management of the municipal solid waste on islands

Abstract

This paper analyses the integral management of solid waste from the viewpoint of the life cycle of the product. We discuss the different phases of the product's life cycle, establishing the conceptual framework that permits an improvement in management, from a social point of view. We also show a price model for the urban waste treatment service in Salto del Negro on the island of Gran Canaria. We conclude that pricing must include all external costs, that social welfare is increased when separation occurs at source and that on small islands waste reduction policies have a greater influence on welfare than they do in the context of mainland territory.