Assessing the sustainable development in the European Union: influence of municipal waste, industrial waste, and waste related patents

Abstract

Waste has emerged as a pressing concern for the environment, primarily stemming from the processes of urbanization and industrialization. The substantial volumes of waste generated pose a serious threat to the environment, as they spread out harmful substances in the soil and release methane emissions into the atmosphere. To effectively address this issue, this study explores the impact of municipal and industrial waste, as well as waste-related innovation on the load capacity factor (LCF) from 2005 to 2020. For this purpose, the augmented mean group method and the half panel jackknife causality approach were conducted by using panel data from 17 European countries. The empirical findings show that (1) the load capacity curve (LCC) hypothesis is confirmed; (2) municipal and industrial waste have a detrimental effect on the LCF; and (3) innovation in waste management practices have no discernible impact on the LCF. In light of these findings, this study emphasizes the importance of efficient waste management for European countries to exploit the potential of waste as a valuable resource rather than a cause of pollution.