Efficient Policies for Green Design in a Vintage Durable Good Model

Using a dynamic durable good model, we investigate efficiency-restoring policy schemes in case of free garbage disposal. In the long-run, efficiency is attained by a subsidy on recyclability of the durable and a tax on the purchase of the durable. On the short-run adjustment path, in contrast, both policy instruments may change their signs such that the government harms recyclability by taxing it and promotes the demand for the durable good by subsidizing it. A deposit--refund system is shown to yield the efficient allocation both in the short-run as well as in the long-run. Copyright Springer 2005