Determinants of plastic recycling rates in OECD countries: the role of education, tourism, and environmental policies

This study investigates the determinants of plastic waste recycling rates in OECD countries from 2001 to 2023, focusing on the roles of education, waste management investment, environmental policy stringency, tourism intensity, and trade openness. Using a Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) model and panel cointegration techniques, the research analyses data from 20 OECD member countries to assess both short-term and long-term impacts. The results reveal that higher education levels and increased investment in waste management significantly boost recycling rates, underscoring the importance of public awareness and infrastructure. Stricter environmental policies also have a positive influence on recycling, highlighting the role of regulatory frameworks. Conversely, tourism intensity negatively affects recycling due to seasonal waste surges. In contrast, trade openness has a positive impact, likely due to the transfer of technology and the adoption of global best practices. Causality tests confirm unidirectional relationships, validating the model’s robustness. These findings provide policymakers with actionable insights for designing multi-dimensional strategies to enhance recycling rates, such as integrating education campaigns, increasing infrastructure funding, and implementing targeted waste management policies for high-tourism areas. The study contributes to the transition toward a circular economy while identifying gaps for future research, including sub-national analyses and the role of digital technologies in waste management.