Impacts of socioeconomic changes on municipal solid waste characteristics in Taiwan

Abstract Composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) is rapidly changed along with socioeconomic factors, especially in developing countries. Understanding the association between MSW composition and socioeconomic factors is therefore instrumental when deciding types of technologies and optimizing management strategies. In the past decades, Taiwan has gradually evolved from an agricultural society to a post-industrial society through industrialization and urbanization. This study collects a 12-year worth of self-reported dataset in Taiwan, including MSW, individual and household social-economic factors, in order to unveil their relationships. Our analysis is based on multivariate approach. The results indicate that the major socioeconomic factors that dominate the MSW composition were safety concerns, economic activities, and lifestyle. Overall, MSW composition is increasingly complex as the economy experiences more prosperity, and there is an upward trend of recyclable wastes. Moreover, kitchen waste represents a distinct pattern between urban and rural communities, coupled with the contribution of total waste. Consistent with other countries, paper waste is increased in commensurate with the growth of economy. Interestingly, contrasting to the global trend, plastics and glass wastes generation rate decline when the economy expands economic activities. This attributes mainly to the strict enforcement of recycling policies accompanied with marketing campaigns that encourage recycling and enhance consumers’ green awareness. Strategies that facilitate modifying consumers’ socioeconomic factors and changing consumers’ behavior could play an important role in management of MSW in other developing countries.