Diversion rates of solid waste due to recycling and other efforts vary across communities for multiple reasons. Past research has provided demographic and attitudinal profiles of recyclers and non-recyclers at mainly the individual and household levels with some at the community level. Researchers have found both commonalities and variations in these profiles. Studies have also looked at how the structure of a recycling program influences recycling behavior. The question asked here is how community-level demographic and attitudinal characteristics interact with the structure of public recycling programs to influence aggregate rates of recycling participation and diversion in 40 cities in the western United States. The results of this study provide modest support for my hypotheses that when recycling programs are less convenient, demographics and attitudinal characteristics will explain more variation in diversion of waste at the community scale. Similarly, as recycling programs become more convenient, the roles of demographic and attitudinal factors (recycling friendliness) are expected to decrease. This study found increased recycling program convenience and less visible fee assessment structures were associated with higher rates of recycling among cities regardless of their degree of recycling friendliness. When recycling outcomes were cross tabulated with indicators convenience and fee assessment, low rates were generally found among cities with low program convenience and high rates were generally found among cities with high program convenience. Cities with less convenient programs were more likely to see higher rates of recycling when their underlying demographic and attitudinal attributes reflected characteristics that have been associated with increased recycling activity. However, when program convenience was high (and fee structures less visible) high rates of recycling were found across cities with both favorable and unfavorable demographic characteristics. I use case-specific detailed narratives to explore the factors that influence outcomes among selected cities that did or did not meet my expectations.

Three troublesome issues concerning residential curbside collection (RCC) and municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems in the United States motivated this research. First, reliance upon inefficient collection and scheduling procedures negatively affect RCC efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and cost. Second, the neglected impact of MSW management practices on water resources. Third, the implications of alternative fuels on the environmental and financial performance of waste collection where fuel plays a significant rule. The goal of this study was to select the best RCC program, MSW management practice, and collection fuel. For this study, field data were collected for RCC programs across the State of Florida. The garbage and recyclables generation rates were compared based on garbage collection frequency and use of dual-stream (DS) or single-stream (SS) recyclables collection system. The assessment of the collection programs was evaluated based on GHG emissions, while for the first time, the water footprint (WFP) was calculated for the most commonly used MSW management practices namely landfilling, combustion, and recycling. In comparing alternative collection fuels, two multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tools, TOPSIS and SAW, were used to rank fuel alternatives for the waste collection industry with respect to a multi-level environmental and financial decision matrix. The results showed that SS collection systems exhibited more than a two-fold increase in recyclables generation rates, and a ~2.2-fold greater recycling efficiency compared to DS. The GHG emissions associated with the studied collection programs were estimated to be between 36 and 51 kg CO2eq per metric ton of total household waste (garbage and recyclables), depending on the garbage collection frequency, recyclables collection system (DS or SS) and recyclables compaction. When recyclables offsets were considered, the GHG emissions associated with programs using SS were estimated between -760 and -560, compared to between -270 and -210 kg CO2eq per metric ton of total waste for DS programs. In comparing the WFP of MSW management practices, the results showed that the WFP of waste landfilling can be reduced through implementing bioreactor landfilling. The WFP of electricity generated from waste combustion was less than the electricity from landfill gas. Overall, the WFP of electricity from MSW management practices was drastically less than some renewable energy sources. In comparing the WFP offsets of recyclables, the recycling of renewable commodities, e.g. paper, contributed to the highest WFP offsets compared to other commodities, mainly due to its raw material acquisition high WFPs. This suggests that recycling of renewable goods is the best management practice to reduce the WFP of MSW management. Finally, the MCDA of alternative fuel technologies revealed that diesel is still the best option, followed by hydraulic-hybrid waste collection vehicles (WCVs), then landfill gas (LFG) sourced natural gas, fossil natural gas and biodiesel. The elimination of the fueling station criterion from the financial criteria ranked LFG-sourced natural gas as the best option; suggesting that LFG sourced natural gas is the best alternative to fuel WCV when accessible. In conclusion, field data suggest that RCC system design can significantly impact recyclables generation rate and efficiency, and consequently determine environmental and economic impact of collection systems. The WFP concept was suggested as a method to systematically assess the impact of MSW management practices on water resources. A careful consideration of the WFP of MSW management practices and energy recovered from MSW management facilities is essential for the sustainable appropriation of water resources and development.

This dissertation consists of three essays in applied econometrics that analyze the strategic interactions between individuals and institutions. The first chapter examines the relationship between employee benefits and the performance of startups. Using national longitudinal data on startups, I find that an increase in the share of employee benefits in total compensation packages leads to increased productivity of startups. Results indicate that a 10 percent increase in the share of employee benefits leads to an increase ranging from 1.5 to 3.9 percent in productivity even if the returns to the employee benefits are heterogeneous across startups. I also find that an increase in the share of employee benefits increases the chance of survival of startups. The second chapter investigates the dynamics of employee screening and transitions from temporary to permanent employment. I analyze unique German data that contains specific information about the dynamics of the transition from temporary to permanent employment, I find that employers screen the abilities of employees only before they hire them. I find no evidence that employers screen the cognitive ability of employees during temporary employment. The third chapter examines the relationship between housing prices and the availability of curbside parking. Using a policy change in Istanbul as a quasi-experiment, this chapter explores the effect of Istanbul’s switch from informal and free curbside parking to formal and paid curbside parking on housing prices. In a differences-in-differences model coupled with a propensity score matching, we find that an exogenous change in the availability of parking leads to a statistically significant decrease in house prices. We estimate that house prices per square meter decrease by 13 percent in the neighborhoods where the city starts charging curbside parking spaces. However, rents stay the same compared to the other neighborhoods. / text

Vehicles that today are searching for a place to stop impacts other vehicles in cities. It can also be seen that the number of vehicles that desire to conduct a pick-up or drop-off increases with an increased number of ride-hailing services. New technology routing advises for such vehicles could improve the overall performance of a traffic network. This thesis analyses therefore how a routing strategy, that incorporates curbside availability information, can impact the performance. To analyse the effects of how curbside availability information can impact a network, a microscopic traffic simulation model was constructed in PTV Vissim and two different routing strategies were developed and implemented in the model. One strategy that represents the scenario of today where vehicles searches the traffic network while attempting to make a stop at a pick-up and drop-off slot. The second strategy routes vehicles to a slot based on curbside availability information. This strategy directs vehicles to an available slot and therefore reduces the time a vehicle is cruising before a stop has been made. A simulation experiment was set-up to compare the strategies that were developed with different penetration rates of vehicles that desired to stop. The results shows that the average travel time can be reduced with up to 25.2\% when vehicles have information compared to the scenario with no information. Similar findings is identified for average delay per vehicle which is reduced with up to 49.0\% and average traveled distance decreased with up to 15.5\%. The results of this thesis needs however to be studied in a wider context in order to draw reliable conclusions. The thesis propose further investigations whether a strategy that incorporates availability information can be implemented in a real world scenario and further investigations whether an implementation of a strategy like this would be socioeconomic beneficial.

This research investigates whether the implementation of a curbside recycling system has an effect on the behavior of households with regard to the recycling of packaging material in Sweden. Previous research presented in the literature points out that the decision to engage in recycling behavior, rather than free-riding on the contributions of others, is based on the perceived contribution of others. Complying with social norms and the experience of warm-glow constitute forms of utility that are derived from engaging in recycling behavior. The recyclable packaging materials glass, paper, plastic, and metal, as well as the total of these materials, are considered in this study. Recycling data from 247 municipalities for the years 2010-2020 are used to research this topic. The analysis is carried out using a difference-in-difference model with multiple time periods and a model presented by Callaway and Sant’Anna. A positive and significant change in household recycling was found for plastic packaging waste, amounting to an average increase of 1.57-2.92 kilograms per resident per year when the curbside recycling system was introduced. The change in recycling was also positive for paper, but this result was not robust to changes in the original model specification. Significant increases in recycling were found for total recycling, glass, and metal as well. However, it is considered uncertain whether the identifying assumptions that have to be fulfilled to establish causality of the results are satisfied. The introduction of a curbside recycling system increases household recycling because the time and effort that are required to recycle decrease. The results presented in this study are in line with this notion.

The overall aim of this thesis is to examine households´ preferences towards relaxing the time demanding aspects of transporting sorted packaging waste. According to welfare economics, households should be willing to pay an amount equal to their reservation wage to benefit from more leisure time. However, specific types of norms, e.g., personal, self-internalized norms, and warm-glow motives may affect this decision. A theoretical model building on the notion that household members prefer to maintain a positive self-image as a responsible person is therefore used. In total 500 surveys were sent out to villas in the municipality of Skellefteå in order to gather information about recycling motives, socio-economic status and time spent on dropping-off packaging waste. The survey also presented a scenario similar to existing curbside recycling schemes in order to examine households’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) to relax the burden of transporting already sorted packaging waste. The empirical results show how both personal norms (giving rise to a feeling of guilty conscious if not recycling) and the warm-glow of giving affect the WTP for responsibility relief. Stronger personal norms implies a higher likelihood that persons have a positive willingness-to-pay for curbside recycling schemes, while strong warm-glow motives instead lead to a lower likelihood. Overall, the average WTP (per hour saved) tends to be lower than the opportunity cost of time measured through the average wage rate after tax. / Denna rapport behandlar hushålls uppfattning gällande att minska tidskrävande transport av redan källsorterade förpackningar i hemmet. Individen borde enligt ekonomisk teori vara villig att betala motsvarande hans/hennes reservationslön för att frigöra ytterligare fritid. Däremot kan specifika normer, såsom personliga (självpålagda) normer, och så kallade ”warm-glow” motiv påverka beslutet. En teoretisk modell som bygger på idén att individer föredrar att upprätthålla en positiv självbild som en ansvarsfull person utnyttjas. 500 enkäter skickades ut till villor inom Skellefteå kommun med uppgift att samla in data gällande motiv till källsortering, socioekonomisk status och tid nedlagd på att transportera källsorterade förpackningar. Ett scenario likt nuvarande implementering av fastighetsnära insamling lades fram för att undersöka hushållens betalningsvilja (WTP) för inte behöva transportera källsorterade förpackningar till en återvinningsstation. Resultaten visar hur både personlig norm (som bland annat ger individen dåligt samvete av att inte källsortera) och motivet ”warm-glow” påverkar WTP för minskat ansvar. En starkare personlig norm medför en högre sannolikhet för en positiv betalningsvilja, medan ett starkt ”warm-glow” motiv i stället leder till en motsvarande lägre sannolikhet. Slutligen, den genomsnittliga betalningsviljan (per sparad timme) tenderar att vara avsevärt lägre än den genomsnittliga lönenivån (efter skatt).

En av de största globala utmaningarna idag är de negativa miljöeffekterna från den linjära ekonomin som världen bygger på, där produkter oupphörligt skapas från jungfruliga råvaror och efter användningstiden slutar som avfall utan nytta. Initiativ på flera nivåer; lokalt, regionalt, nationellt och globalt, krävs för att uppnå en cirkulär ekonomi där uppkomsten av avfall, samt utvinningen av jungfruliga råvaror, minskar. Europeiska unionens handlingsplan för cirkulär ekonomi säger att 75 % av alla förpackningar ska materialåtervinnas till år 2030. I Sverige materialåtervinns mellan 42,2 % (plastförpackningar) och 95 % (glas) och fastighetsnära insamlingssystem för förpackningar och tidningar är förhållandevis väl utbyggda, åtminstone för flerfamiljshus. Gällande småhus har utvecklingen gått något långsammare även om flera kommuner idag infört fastighetsnära insamling för hushållsavfall, inklusive förpacknings- och tidningsavfall. Att välja ett nytt, utökat avfallssystem till en kommun är ett stort och komplext beslut med många aspekter att ta hänsyn till. Flera tidigare utredningar inför denna typ av beslut har saknat en tydlig målbild, metodik och systematik i granskningen, varför syftet med denna studie varit att utveckla en metod för att genomföra en systematisk multikriterieanalys av ett antal avfallssystem för insamling och sortering av hushållsavfall från småhus i en kommun.  Innan multikriterieanalysen påbörjades gjordes en omfattande kartläggning av de aspekter som är kopplade till beslutet om ett nytt avfallssystem. Kartläggningen och det urval av aspekter som gjordes till multikriterieanalysen är värdefull kunskap för kommuner som står inför denna typ av beslut. Multikriterieanalysen har tagits fram med inspiration från den generiska formen av en multikriterieanalys där Linköpings kommun och Tekniska verken använts som fall. På grund av detta har även de system som utvärderats valts ut med hänsyn till intressanta avfallssystem för Linköpings kommun. Den framtagna multikriterieanalysen har paketerats i ett användarvänligt verktyg som kan användas av beslutsfattare i kommuner som önskar att utvärdera och jämföra avfallssystem för småhus.  Studien har resulterat i att det i huvudsak är följande sju kriterier som bör beaktas i en utredning gällande ett nytt insamlings- och sorteringssystem för småhus i en kommun, där resurseffektivitet är av hög prioritet i beslutet:  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Etablerbarhet &amp; flexibilitet  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Miljöpåverkan från materielbehov  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Kundperspektiv  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Arbetsmiljö  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1">Miljöpåverkan från energianvändning vid drift  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Insamlingsresultat  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Ekonomi  Dessa kriterier har brutits ned i mindre beståndsdelar, kallade indikatorer. När avfallssystem ska utvärderas och jämföras är det essentiellt att de bedöms inom dessa kriterier och indikatorer för att skapa bra underlag inför valet av system.   Studien har kunnat belysa att det i nuläget finns en hel del osäkerheter inom områdena Etablerbarhet &amp; flexibilitet samt Miljöpåverkan från energianvändning i drift som försvårar bedömning av system inom kriterierna. Även vissa avfallssystem saknas tillräcklig kunskap om som krävs för att kunna göra en rättvis bedömning av systemen, mycket till följd av att de är oetablerade i Sverige. / One of the greatest challenges the world is facing today is the negative environmental effects as a result from the linear economy used in societies, where products are constantly being produced from raw materials and end up as waste after the period of usage. Initiatives on many levels; local, regional, national and global are needed to create a circular economy which minimizes both the generation of waste and the extraction of raw materials. The European Union’s action plan for circular economy expresses that 75 % of all packaging waste should be recycled by 2030. In Sweden packaging waste is being recycled between 42,2 % (plastic waste) to 95 % (glass waste) and the curbside collection systems for packaging waste are quite well-developed, especially regarding waste systems for multi-family houses. For single-family houses the development has been slower, although several municipalities have introduced curbside collection systems for household waste including packaging and newspaper waste during the last years. It is a comprehensive and complex decision to invest in a new extended curbside collection and sorting system in a municipality and there are many aspects to consider. Since several previous inquiries regarding this type of decision lacks a systematic approach and clear objectives, the purpose of this study is to develop a method for conducting a systematic multi-criteria analysis of collection and sorting systems for single-family household waste in a municipality.  Prior to the multi-criteria analysis a substantial evaluation of aspects related to the decision of a new waste system was made. The mapping and selection of aspects that were made provide great knowledge for municipalities facing this kind of decision. The developed multi-criteria analysis is based on the generic form of a multi-criteria analysis, using the municipality of Linköping and Tekniska verken as case. As a result, the range of waste systems evaluated have been selected according to the preferences of Linköping municipality. The developed multi-criteria analysis has been transferred to a user-friendly tool for decision makers at municipalities who wish to assess and compare extended collection and sorting systems for single-family household waste.  The study has resulted in the following criteria which should be considered in an inquiry of waste systems for single-family houses in a municipality, where resource efficiency is highly prioritized:  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Establishment &amp; flexibility  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Environmental impact from usage of materiel  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Customer perspective  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Working standards  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Environmental impact from energy usage during operation  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Collection results  <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="29" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1">Economy  These criteria have been divided into smaller components, called indicators. When assessing and comparing waste systems, it is essential to evaluate systems within these criteria and indicators to ensure a thorough basis for this type of decision.  The study has been able to highlight some lack of knowledge within the criteria Establishment &amp; flexibility and Environmental impact from energy usage during operation, which complicates the assessment of waste systems within these areas. Sufficient knowledge regarding some waste systems are also missing, most likely due to the systems not being used in Sweden.

Denna studie är en undersökning om hur Covid-19 pandemin har förändrat kundupplevelsehantering för svensk hemelektronikhandel. Vidare undersöks hur svenska hemelektronikföretag och konsumenter svarat och agerat på dessa förändringar. Forskningen har använt triangulerande datainsamlingsmetoder. Kvantitativ data har samlats in genom enkätundersökningar med konsumenter. Kvalitativ data har samlats in från intervjuer med representanter på svenska hemelektronikföretag. Studien ägde rum under Covid-19 pandemin och utfördes därmed på distans med hjälp av digitala verktyg. Studiens resultat tyder på att Covid-19 pandemin lett till ett hopp på tre år i utvecklingen av handeln inom hemelektronik och därmed bidragit med en övergång från interaktion via fysiska butiker till digitala kanaler. Företag inom hemelektronik har även fokuserat mindre på hur konkurrenter agerat och mer på vad konsumenter efterfrågar. Detta har lett till utveckling av nya kanaler och helt nya sätt att interagera med kunder. De nya kanalerna integrerar mänsklig natur i dess interaktion genom video samt direkt kommunikation mellan kund och anställd. Kunder är mer nöjda med deras upplevelser hos företagen under pandemin än innan pandemin och företagen förutspås fortsätta i den utveckling pandemin bidragit till. / This study investigates how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed customer experience management for the Swedish consumer electronics trade. It also examines how Swedish consumer electronics companies and consumers have responded and acted on these changes. The research has used triangulating data collection methods. Quantitative data have been collected through surveys with consumers. Qualitative data have been collected from interviews with representatives of Swedish consumer electronics companies. The study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and was thus carried out remotely using digital tools. The results of the study indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a three-year jump in the development of trade in consumer electronics and thus contributed to a transition from interaction via physical stores to digital touchpoints. Home electronics companies have also focused less on how competitors have acted and more on what consumers demand. This has led to the development of new touchpoints and completely new ways of interacting with customers. The new touchpoints integrate human nature in its interaction through video and direct communication between customer and employee. Customers are more satisfied with their experiences with companies during the pandemic than before the pandemic and the companies are predicted to continue in the development the pandemic has contributed to.

Purpose: This study aims to produce a design proposal of standard parkings for future environmentally friendly vehicles that can be used everywhere. It also submits a proposal for a part within Västerås city zone 1 where curbside car park can be replaced. Method: An external analysis containing a questionnaire study, interviews with experts in municipalities in 4 other selected cities, Örebro, Uppsala, Gent and Copenhagen combined with a literature study and a case study of the city of Västerås parkingzone 1 was performed. All material were collected to analyze how to design and were to place parkings for ecological environmentally friendly vehicles. Results: The results shows that a lot can be done in Västerås in terms of parking. The design and layout must include more types of vehicles as well as better amenities and security. This study gives suggestions and example of how to design and plan parkingspace for the future. Conclusions: The conclusion is that there are factors that slows the process down. The knowledge is great with the planners department but the information and knowledge in the population is lacking as well as the will and determination at the municipal politicians. There is also an architectural aspect on the shaping of parkings that don’t follow the user ́s needs. Another conclusion is that a wider variety of parking is needed in the future.