WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BULGARIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION – COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Authors
Keywords
circular economy, waste management, panel data, dynamics, cluster analysis, structural changes
Summary
In the conditions of limited natural resources and adverse impacts on the climate as a result of production activity and consumption, it is becoming increasingly imperative to limit the use of non-renewable resources and the generation of waste. The circular economy is a model of production and consumption aimed at extending the life cycle of products, which minimizes waste. The concept of a circular economy is gaining increasing public importance due to the role it plays in sustainable economic development and the environment. The present study covers the main indicators that characterize waste management as one of the main pillars in the methodology adopted by Eurostat, which monitors progress in the transition from a linear to a circular economy. The main objective of the research is connected, on the one hand, with an empirical assessment of the state, trends and challenges among the countries of the European Union in terms of waste management, and on the other hand, with establishing the place of Bulgaria in the EU through a comparative analysis of the waste management indicators. The results confirm the research hypothesis that the actions and measures in Bulgaria regarding the transition to a circular economy are performed at a slower rate than those in the leading countries in the EU. There is a lag in the growth rates of the studied indicators compared to the average for the countries of the European Union, and during the period our country falls into the cluster of countries characterized by the lowest levels of the indicators covered in the study.
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