Solid waste management program in developing countries: contingent valuation methodology versus choice experiment

Abstract

The willingness to pay by households in Vietnam to improve collection and processing services linked to source-separated municipal solid waste (MSW) is investigated in this research. This study contributes to the current literature by comparing welfare benefts derived from contingent valuation methodology and choice experiments for changes to waste service provision. The respondents were also stratifed, for the frst time, into households with/without previously sorted waste and across urbanization grades. Our results return broadly consistent willingness to pay estimates across the two methodologies and ofers evidence that MSW sustainable management—a priority need in developing countries—may be addressed by positively enticing residents into a new fee-for-service program, but only where social benefts from such engagement are made clear. Interestingly, residents in lower urbanization grades, and those who have not previously sorted waste, reveal higher WTP values. Our results suggest that respondents are most interested in a wider selection of separated material options (i.e., recycled, organic and residual) as well as the potential for CO2 emission reductions associated with new waste management programs. We argue that the application of both stated preference techniques widens the set of policy input factors available to government ofcials and ensures useful evidence for structuring future engagement programs to address those who retain a preference for the status quo.