Rural domestic waste disposal: an empirical analysis in five provinces of China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different types of domestic waste disposal in rural China and the major factors that affect rural household waste disposal behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Stratified and randomly sampled household data are used to describe the disposal of domestic waste in rural China, including domestic garbage and organic waste (human excreta, livestock waste, and kitchen waste); econometric models are estimated to quantify the major determinants of household domestic garbage and human excreta disposal. Findings – While about 30 percent of the domestic garbage in 2008 was discharged to appropriately designated places, more than 40 percent of the garbage was discharged casually. Organic waste at the time of data gathering was still largely used in agricultural production, although a falling trend has been evidenced in recent years. Based on econometric analysis, it becomes clear that income growth, rising population density, and transportation improvements have significantly improved domestic garbage disposal, but negatively affected the recycling of human excreta. The provision of an adequate garbage collection service has the most positive effects on garbage management. Originality/value – The analyses are based on primary survey data. The results will have significant policy implications on the management of rural domestic waste to maintain better rural environment.