Regulation, product durability, and market process in recycling electronic waste

Abstract

This is a three-paper dissertation in fulfillment of the requirements of a Ph.D. in Mineral and Energy Economics at the Colorado School of Mines. It is set in a broader economic context surrounding electronic waste, with public policy decisions and market process in durable wastes---inclusive of critical materials. Unifying themes include durable goods, institutional choice, critical mineral scarcity, and evolving economic thought on waste management. The first paper is an empirical study of state adoption of extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws. The second (co-authored with advisor Daniel Kaffine) is a neoclassical analysis of the potential for unintended consequences (backfire) in durable recycling subsidy policy. The third is an advancement in modeling the role of transaction costs and disposal (as supply) uncertainty in reverse supply chain networks by way of network equilibrium.