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Solid Waste Disposal in Rural Areas: Economic Implications*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Harry W. Ayer  and
David W. Hogan
Harry W. Ayer
Affiliation:
Natural Resource Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Arizona
David W. Hogan
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Arizona, and is now with the Federal Land Bank, Springfield, Massachusetts
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Extract

Solid waste disposal is a significant problem. It has been estimated that almost a ton of solid waste is collected per year per capita in the United States. Solid waste disposal, especially in rural areas, is frequently done in an unsanitary, potentially dangerous and often unslightly manner. To cope with these solid waste problems, both state legislatures and the Environmental Protection Agency are now in the process of requiring communities which presently utilize unsanitary disposal practices to upgrade their facilities and management practices. A sanitary landfill operation1 is usually the least-cost method of accomplishing these requirements, especially in rural areas.2 Quality facilities and management practices are not costless, however. It is estimated that the U.S. spends more than $4.5 billion each year on solid waste management, and more than 80 percent of this amount is for collection.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , December 1977 , pp. 49 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1977

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Footnotes

*

The authors wish to thank Dr. Elmer Menzie, Paul Hoyt and three journal reviewers for comments on an earlier draft. Shortcomings are, of course, the authors'. Reported research was supported by the Natural Resource Economics Division, Economic Research Service, USDA, and the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Arizona.

References

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