Determinants of a throwaway society – A sustainable consumption issue

The purpose of this paper is to present a clearer understanding of how several key socio-economic variables impact municipal solid waste (MSW). Although the variables of interest arise from deeply entrenched micro-economic behaviors at the household level, the analysis can be extrapolated to the international level. Two of the variables, which are a time factor and a consumption discount rate, are empirically tested with an international dataset and have been found to be significant predictors of MSW per capita.

► Municipal solid waste generation is modeled using two different, yet similar, theoretical models. ► The models are tested empirically at the international level using publically available OECD data. ► The dependent variable is expressed as the amount of MSW generation per dollar of disposable income. ► The findings are that MSW per dollar increases as the average amount weeks worked increases by nation. ► Findings also show that a national consumption discount rate is positively related to MSW per dollar.