Institute for European Environmental Policy                                                                                                         Member of network of academics

Analysis of the presence of tobacco products in littering and the communal household waste

The data on the amount and types of tobacco products in littering and household waste helps to define boundaries of the extended producer responsibility. 

As part of EPR schemes, some manufacturers of one-way plastics are obliged to find ways to share the cleaning costs and thus help the local government to finance the cleaning activities or possibly information and communication campaigns. However, a prerequisite for creating computational models is knowledge of the proportion of cigarette butts and other smoking products in littering. Especially within the localities for which littering behavior is typical – shopping streets and squares or natural environments.

Funding Agency: Philip Morris ČR a.s., British American Tobacco (Czech Republic), s.r.o., JT International spol. s r.o., Imperial Tobacco CR, s.r.o.
Duration: 9/2021 – 06/2022
Contact person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz, jan.slavik@ujep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, David Hrabina, Zdeňka Ilková, Blanka Bannertová, Ilona Faitová, Alice Charvátová, Veronika Rožcová, Ladislav Petrovič
In Cooperation with: GREEN Solutions, s.r.o.
Outputs: Internal report for the funder.

 

 

Littering collection and analysis for the purpose of the littered packaging waste determination in Czechia

Littering analysis in selected Czech case sites contributed to the proposal of the economic model to cover clearance costs of public spaces. 

To better understand the littering behavior of Czech citizens, the analysis of littering waste in urban areas (e.g., public transport stops, parks, squares, or shopping streets) and natural areas (e.g., rest areas, hiking trails, and areas around water bodies intended for recreation) is needed. Knowing the causes of littering behavior is a prerequisite for designing instruments to prevent this behavior. Furthermore, the data on the composition of littering waste (according to weight, volume, and a number of pieces) allow us to propose a model for sharing the costs of cleaning up this waste between producers.

 

Funding Agency: EKO-KOM, a.s.
Duration: 7/2020 – 12/2021
Contact person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz, jan.slavik@ujep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Martina Vrbová, David Hrabina, Zdeňka Ilková, Blanka Bannertová, Ilona Faitová, Alice Charvátová, Veronika Rožcová, Ladislav Petrovič, Filip Křivánek, Pavel Krajíček
In Cooperation with: GREEN Solutions, s.r.o.
Outputs: Internal document for the funder.

 

Demographic development and behavioural aspects (e.g. ‘crowding-out effect’) and their impact on the municipal waste charging policy

Evaluation of the demographic change, behavioural aspects (e.g. so called ‘crowding-out effect’), and municipal waste cost structure influence on the effectiveness of waste charging schemes in the Czech Republic.

Demographic change is social phenomenon that has a significant impact on environmental service provision at the local level. Especially municipal waste management seems to be affected by the development of demographic characteristics enormously, because households and their behaviour influence the municipal waste production, treatment (incl. recycling), and the effectiveness of charging policy. The environmental (or recycling) behaviour is influenced also by other intrinsic, and extrinsic factors with different significance. To increase the fulfillment of environmental goals and efficiency of the municipal waste management system the extrinsic factors as collection charges (or unit-based, ‘pay-as-you-throw’ schemes) are preferred by local governments. To be effective the charging schemes should reflect demographic characteristics of households, behavioural aspects of their decision making process in the case of municipal waste production, or treatment, and the municipal waste management cost structure (fixed vs. variable costs).

Funding Agency: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 1/2016–12/2018
Contact Person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz, jan.slavik@ujep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Jan Pavel, Eliška Vejchodská
In Cooperation with:

 

Results:

Přírodovědecká fakulta Univerzity Karlovy v Praze (RNDr. Boris. Burcin, Ph.D.) a INESAN (Mgr. Jiří Remr, Ph.D.)

 

Slavík, J., Pavel, J., & Arltová, M. (2020). Variable charges and municipal budget balance: Communicating vessels of the waste management. Journal of Environmental Management257.

 

Economic and Environmental Effects of Environmental Regulation under Different Market Structures (e.g. packaging waste regulation)

Which market structure (monopoly or competition) is more efficient for the fulfillment of packaging waste goals?

The expected drop in landfill capacities (or capacities for the waste disposal at all) lead to the enactment of Packaging Directive which came into force on December 1994. The members of European Union are forced to attain very strict targets of packaging waste recovery and recycling. The producer’s responsibility as a legal duty (the packaging collection and recovery) can be fulfilled through the involvement in collective system (in majority EU countries Green dot system) organized by one or more authorized recovery organizations. The research is based on the current discussion on European level about environmental efficiency and effectiveness of this regulation in monopoly market structure or in competition, which is held by some interest groups (e.g. European Commission, PRO Europe etc.). The lack of the economic approach in this discussion is noticeable -the effect of market competition approach in waste management (and environment at all) is explored marginally and impact of market competition between recovery organizations is not yet analyzed.

Funding Agency: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 1/2010–12/2011
Contact Person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Jitka Šeflová, Martin Ždímal, Josef Šíma
Outputs: Slavík J., Pavel J. (2013): Do the variable charges really increase the effectiveness and economy of waste management? A case study of the Czech Republic. Resources Conservation and Recycling 70: 68–77.
Downloads: Publisher webpage: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344912001747

 

Theoretical analysis of dependencies between environmental policy, regional policy and regional planning

What is the optimal relationships between environmental policy, regional policy and regional planning (example of the Local Agenda 21)?

Main objective of the project lies in detailed analysis of theoretical aspects of natural resources use for development of regions purposes. In existing scientific literature natural resources are considered as one of the factors of regional development which is variable in time. What is the role of particular parts of the environment and natural resources in development of Czech regions? Natural resources in dependence on scale of their use can be significant potential, but also a limiting factor of further development of respective regions. Key activities of the projects are: a) analysis of theoretical approaches to natural resources use and environmental protection in context of regional development theories, b) an analysis of existing experiences with these questions in selected Czech regions. On the basis of two preliminary theoretical-methodological analyses will be executed an evaluation of Czech conditions emphatically on definitions of specifics in natural resources use in particular regions. On the basis of supplementary and complementary analysis of qualification natural resources use in Czech economic policies will be prepared a matrix of advantages and disadvantages of natural resources use with reference to Czech regional aspects.

Funding Agency: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 1/2009–12/2010
Contact Person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Martin Pělucha, Viktor Květoň, Jitka Šeflová, Alena Hadrabová
Outputs: Květoň V., Louda J., Slavík J. (2014): Contribution of Local Agenda 21 to Practical
Downloads: Publisher webpage: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09654313.2012.753994

 

Economical analysis of the intended deposit system in the Czech Republic

Evaluation of economic aspects of the introduction of deposit system on beverage packaging (PET, cans) in the Czech Republic.

The basic goal of the project is to analyse costs and revenues of the deposit system on beverage packaging (beverage PET bottles and cans) for different scenarios of the recycling rate (80, 85, 90%). Furthermore, the study aims to estimate the impact of the deposit system on final prices for consumers and on the existing system of the separate collection of chosen materials (especially plastics). Another goals of the study is to analyse the impact of the deposit system on littering. The Czech Republic is going to make a decision about the appropriateness of the deposit system on one-way beverage containers (PET bottles and cans) in the waste management policy instrument mix. The study solves the question, what kind of costs and revenues the deposit system would generate and how would bear these costs and revenues. Contrary, the study is not going to analyse theoretical aspects (pros and cons) of the deposity system, that it is possible to define according to previous research abroad. The definition of system elements is based on the swedish model of deposit system. The study includes the evaluation of costs that arise when littering is going to be solved.

Funding Agency: Czech Ministry of the Environment
Duration: 2008
Contact Person: Ing. Jitka Šeflová
Researchers: Jiřina Jílková, Jitka Šeflová, Monika Přibylová, Jana Matějovská

Strategy how to avoid and separate municipal waste on the local level and the forming of the secondary raw materials market in the Czech Republic

Evaluation of the influence of chosen factors on the secondary raw materials market functioning.

The recovery and reuse of secondary raw materialsoriginating from waste in the Czech Republic belongs to the key strategies how to reduce the amount of waste going to landfillsor incinerated (with or without energy recovery). About the amount of waste recovered or reused as secondary raw material decided the market that is based on the supply of materials suitable for reuse and recovery and on the demand for these materials. The supply side of the market is based on the separate collection of municipal waste organised by municipalities. Demand side of the market represent the recovery facilities that are reprocessing waste into secondary raw materials used in the production process. Between supply and demand side of the market the collection organisations are organising the transport of suitable materials to the recovery and reuse. Therefore, the project is based on the analysis of the secondary raw materials market in the Czech Republic. Working on project proposal we came from the fact that the potential of reuse and recovery of secondary raw materials is usually analysed from the perspective of the supply side of the market. We are looking for answers on following questions: a) How to motivate households to separate waste into fractions suitable for reuse and recovery, b) How to define separate collection system to be user friendly? c) How to increase the separate collection in general? The main purpose of these strategies is to save natural resources that are detriorated by the landfilling and incinerating waste and to reduce the pressure on limited capacities of the waste disposal.

Funding Agency: Czech Ministry of the Environment
Duration: 6/2007–12/2009
Contact Person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Jitka Šeflová
Outputs: SLAVÍK J. a kol. (2009): Poplatkové systémy v obcích – rizika a příležitosti pro odpadové hospodářství.

The preparation of Strategic analytical document for the reuse and recovery of secondary raw materials (Secondary raw materials policy)

The main goal of the study was to establish analytical materials for the creation of secondary raw materials policy of the Czech Republic

The aim of the study was to describe priority material flows of secondary raw materials in and out of the Czech Republic. Following criteria were in the centre of attention: a) definition of key terms and data sources, b) definition of legal environment, c) analysis of technical and economical conditions for the recovery and reuse of secondary raw materials, d) analysis of the role of secondary raw materials market in the national economy and evaluation of factors that influence the treatment with secondary raw materials. The priority secondary raw materials were: metals, paper, plastics, glas, wood, construction masses, subsidiary energy products, tyres, electric and elektronic equipment, batteries and accumulator, end of life vehicles

Funding Agency: Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade
Duration: 2010 – 2011
Contact Person: Jan Slavík, e-mail: slavik@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Slavík, Jitka Šeflová, Alena Hadrabová
In Cooperation with: EKO-KOM, a.s. + external experts
Use of Results: Outcomes of the study were used for establishing the National Secondary Raw Materials Policy