Output-orientated Data Envelopment Analysis for measuring recycling efficiency: an application at Italian regional level

Pro-environmental behaviours associated with reducing, reusing and recycling have become increasingly matters of public policy concern. However, the existing literature on waste management rarely considers the cultural factors associated with predictors and enablers of recycling behaviours, nor has it deeply explored the relation between cultural access and such behaviours. Mindful of the relationship between cultural participation and learning, the main objective of this paper is to examine which Italian regions are ranked among the most ‘efficient’ in recycling, taking into account the variable of cultural participation. Using a Data Envelopment Analysis method applied to Italian regions for the period 2002–2007, we provide a measure of ‘efficiency’ that considers cultural consumptions (as input) and recycling (as output). Public data are drawn from two sources: the Italian Institute of Statistics database, ‘Cultura in cifre’, and the survey ‘Noi Italia – Environment section’. The results from the empirical analysis rank efficient and non-efficient regions in terms of connection between pro-environmental behaviour and cultural participation. The results also indicate a benchmark for ‘inefficient’ regions. The findings add to the discussion of cultural considerations for designing and implementing preventative pro-environmental strategies, that seek to reduce environmental costs and public environmental expenditure by factoring in – rather than out – the importance, role and impact of cultural access and participation.