Overview and Future Subjects of Studies on Variable Rates: Literature Review
Hajime Yamakawa* and Kazuhiro Ueta**Abstract
In this paper, we clarify the issue regarding variable rates of waste disposal user fees, and report the development, the stage reached and the future subject of studies concerning them. Firstly we evaluate waste reduction by the variable rates imposed on residential solid waste, and its sustainability. We also report how the reduction was realized, and studies of factors in waste reduction. Furthermore, we report survey results concerning illegal dumping and illicit burning. Next we discuss the argument regarding the characteristics of waste disposal service and the fair burden of expense, and also report proposed ways of sharing the burden. We also clarify the argument regarding regressive characteristics of the user fee and its nature of "double taxation" . Then we report studies concerning revenue from fees, treatment costs, the influence on residents' consciousness, and the conditions of residents' agreement. Finally, we report some research on the variable rates on bulky waste, imposing a waste treatment fee on all businesses, and optimization of the fee level.
Key words: variable rates, economic incentive, waste reduction, illegal dumping, burden of expenses