Author(s)

J. H. Kim

Abstract

According to many meteorologists, the annual temperature increase brought about by greenhouse gases (GHG) can heighten the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events. These changes will likely be accompanied by a continual rise in sea levels, and may exacerbate already existing natural hazards. Lots of GHG are emitted from waste transportation by trucks, waste combustion in incinerators, and waste decomposition in landfills. Meanwhile, waste collection fee systems in many countries rely heavily on public expenses, resulting in a huge generation of waste. The author argues that a flat waste collection fee system through taxation represents a kind of subsidy that will allow consumers to generate more waste and more GHG emissions. In relative terms, the data from experience regarding the pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system in the United States can be used to understand the ambiguous relationships between GHG emissions, climate change, and waste generation. Based on data analysis of the PAYT system in US, this paper attempts to develop a sustainable garbage collection and recycling method from the point of view of GHG emissions reduction. Keywords: greenhouse gases, garbage collection fees, recycling methods, waste management, pay-as-you-throw, volume-based-garbage-collection-fee. 1 Introduction For many wastes, landfill is the largest route for disposal throughout the world. The major advantage associated with the landfilling of wastes is the low cost compared with other treatment options – incinerating, composting, and recycling. It is also recognized that many other waste treatment and disposal options require a final disposal route for the residues to be landfilled. However, it

Keywords

greenhouse gases, garbage collection fees, recycling methods, waste management, pay-as-you-throw, volume-based-garbage-collection-fee.