INVESTIGATION OF WASTE KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESIS IN SELECTED OECD MEMBER EU COUNTRIES: PANEL DATA ANALYSIS

Abstract

Waste generation and composition are crucial aspects of environmental sustainability. Recently, they have gained attention from researchers due to their close association with social and environmental issues. The objective of this study is to assess the validity of the Waste Kuznets Curve (WKC) hypothesis about urban solid waste production in the top ten countries with the highest urban solid waste generation among the OECD member EU countries. The study analyses the impact of socio-economic control variables on per capita urban solid waste generation. A panel regression model was used for the sample group of countries from 1995 to 2019, and predictions were made. WKC hypothesis, which suggests a negative relationship between per capita urban solid waste generation and per capita real income, was invalid based on the results. Furthermore, the inclusion of control variables such as the Human Development Index, population density, and unemployment rate had a significant impact on the generation of urban solid waste per capita. When the relevant literature is evaluated, it is envisaged that the study will contribute to the very limited literature in which the WKC hypothesis is tested in the model, in which socioeconomic variables are also taken into account, due to the specificity of the current period and the selected country group.