Abstract

Policies adopted to improve the competitiveness of public services include those designed to reform governance. Good governance of the waste management industry is becoming one of the most thought-provoking themes in heading toward a more circular economy. Given the complexity of this industry, the starting point for improving waste management performance must be at the industry structure and governance level. Although the economic literature on waste management has deeply investigated economic efficiency, business models, environmental performances, and citizens' behavior, governance's role in supporting the market's healthy functioning has received little attention. In such an evolving industry, securing a competitive market while ensuring the universality of waste management services and reaching circular economy targets is challenging. Based on both a theoretical approach and empirical analysis, we provide insights into the managerial functions of an independent body aimed at performing tasks that help policymakers to implement policies, waste management operators make decisions, and stakeholders, get information. We identify the economic and managerial functions that shall be entrusted to an independent coordinating body to coordinate and support the operators and institutions involved in the waste management industry. Focusing on municipal solid waste, we justify our proposal since it is a public service with environmental and economic implications at the center of the transition toward a more circular economy. Given its complexity, it needs to be properly governed to avoid policy and strategic drifts that may hinder the transition path.

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