Yardstick competition in the recyclable waste collection: a case study on Italian provinces

European and Italian institutions set specific targets for recycling of each material in the downstream phase of the waste management process. However, there is no defined target for collecting recyclable materials in the upstream phase. This institutional regulatory gap results in varying waste management outcomes across different local governments. Yardstick competition is a peer competition mechanism that, if activated, can incentivise local waste management authorities to enhance their recyclable material collection rates. This study examines whether yardstick competition arises among Italian provinces in collecting individual recyclable materials. To this end, a two-regime spatial Durbin model is implemented, and provincial data from 2008 to 2020 are employed. The findings show that in the absence of central institutional regulations for individual recyclable materials, yardstick competition does not emerge.