Waste Not Want Not; A study into the economic and financial factors that determine the installation of waste-to-energy within a country
Summary
Although the amount of generated energy coming from renewable sources is steadily increasing, fossil fuels are still used in great numbers around the world to produce energy. The effects of which have many negative consequences for the population worldwide. At the same time, due to a growing population, economic development, and increasing number of people that live in cities the amount of waste that is generated is steadily increasing as well. Waste-to-energy is a method that is a more sustainable waste-management system than many of its alternatives that can generate renewable energy as well. In some countries, this method is already in use, in other countries not at all. This thesis aims to fill a gap in the scientific literature regarding the factors that influence the installation of WtE within a country. The research method that is used in this research is a regression analysis. In this way, the correlation between several predictors and the amount of WtE installed in a country can be quantified. The results show that there are two predictors that have a significant influence on the dependent variable. Firstly, when GDP per capita in a country is higher, there is a higher chance of WtE being installed in that country. Secondly, when the municipal solid waste generation in a country is higher, the chance of WtE being installed in that country are less likely. However, the results of this study might be flawed due to a limited data availability. More accurate data is needed in order to produce more robust results.