Determinants of paper packaging waste: evidence across 28 EU countries

Paper and cardboard packaging waste (PW) constitutes a significant component of municipal waste in the EU and is closely linked to issues of resource conservation and climate change. Recycling PW reduces the demand for virgin materials, thereby conserving natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and production of virgin materials. Furthermore, PW recycling can impact the social and economic well-being of communities. This study investigates the confluence of income inequalities, digital consumption, materialism, and social protection, and their nexus with paper waste streams in a sample of 28 EU countries from the period of 2000 to 2020, using various statistical methods. Countries with higher levels of material consumption tend to have lower levels of PW recycling, while increased e-commerce activity and income concentration among a few individuals are robustly associated with decreased recycling performance. Conversely, social protection expenditures are positively correlated with PW recycling in both the short-and long-run.