Regional environmental efficiency in waste generation

This paper employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to consider waste generation at a regional level in the European Union (EU). By doing so both good and bad outputs are taken into account and different frameworks are designed. Five parameters (waste generation, employment rate, capital formation, GDP and population density) are used for 172 EU regions and for the years 2009, 2011 and 2013. In doing so four frameworks have been designed with different inputs and outputs each time. The results show the more efficient EU regions according to each framework, but it should be noted that results from different frameworks should not be compared to each other. Overall results suggest that the highest performers are regions in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and the UK. Finally the efficiency results from DEA were reviewed against the treatment options employed in the relevant regions. Our findings show that although a country might be efficient according to DEA and by taking many factors into consideration, it is not necessary that regions within a country use sustainable waste treatment options as it is essential to account for trade and shipment of waste between regions and countries as well.