Recycling Trends based on Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Regional Variables: An Analysis of Pennsylvania Counties

Comunale, Caitlin

Recycling Trends based on Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Regional Variables: An Analysis of Pennsylvania Counties

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/56748

Author(s)

Comunale, Caitlin

Date Issued

April 10, 2023

Abstract

This senior thesis evaluates the United States of America’s current methods of sustainability and recycling. As the climate crisis and waste crisis remain prevalent and ongoing, the United States of America must optimize their national recycling output to ensure domestic security, benefit the environment, and accumulate economic growth. In this paper, I question how socioeconomic, demographic, and regional factors impact recycling per capita output. This research studies residential recycling output throughout the 67 counties of Pennsylvania in the United States of America during the year 2019. This research was conducted by generating a multiple linear regression with Stata to evaluate county variables and the impact that the variables have on non-organic residential recycling per capita output. This research finds that a 1% increase in median household income results in a 2.21% increase in non-organic residential recycling per capita and is statistically significant at the 1% significance level. Additionally, this research finds that a 1% increase in Republican registered voters results in a 1.33% decrease in non-organic residential recycling per capita and is statistically significant at the 10% significance level.

Major

Economics

Honors

Business and Economics, 2023

First Reader(s)

Nonnenmacher, Tomas W.