The role of actors and incentives in municipal solid waste management : a case study on Muzaffarnagar, India

Abstract

The ever-increasing urban population and a growing middle class are leading to a burgeoning solid waste problem in Indian cities. While legislation has been passed to address the growing waste issue, there has been limited compliance by municipal governments. One of the key changes and challenges resulting from the new legislation is that municipal governments are now responsible for household waste collection. This is both a major expense for municipal governments, and also involves influencing the behaviors of every household in a city. While the 2000 Municipal Solid Waste Management (and Handling) Rules legally bind a municipal government to be responsible for municipal solid waste management (MSWM), a closer look at MSWM systems reveals a range of waste service providers that is much more complex than a single provider. Each actor's incentives shape their participation in the MSWM system. Thus the municipal government, though the responsible party for MSWM, does not always direct the outcomes of a MSWM system. This begs the question: what actors influence municipal solid waste management (MSWM)? How do their incentives shape the activities and outcomes of a MSWM system?