Typology of municipal solid waste recycling value chains: A global perspective

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management that seeks to recover wasted resources and return them to the system as secondary commodities (hence, it promotes circularity in resource recovery systems) is a process instigated by recycling value chains. Recycling value chains are termed as the chain of processes (i.e., value chain activities and performance) and structures (formal/informal networks of stakeholders) created and shaped by the relations of stakeholders operating across the value chain, aimed at connecting production with the management of recyclable waste resources. At present, recycling processes and structures are not well depicted in the global literature due to the heterogeneity of terms used across countries and disciplines, and the lack of holistic insight into the way recycling chains operate. This critical review aims to disentangle the diverse terminology used to describe recycling value chains globally and provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art of MSW recyclable waste materials management in developed and developing economies emphasising their potential in promoting circularity. The study proposes a typology for describing the management of recyclable waste materials across the globe, and highlights that each of the three types of recycling value chains developed is a highly complex, context-specific system, deeply constructed on long-term political, organisational, and institutional aspects. While this typology can be a simplistic way of depicting the type of recycling value chain that is most prevalent in different countries around the globe, it can reveal how different forms of governance affect coordination in recycling networks and, by extent, their recycling performance. Therefore, this study can help researchers and decision-makers understand how recycling value chain systems operate at large and explore different ways to improve resource recovery from waste that match the needs of each area.