The use of efficiency metrics for cross-jurisdictional assessment of household hazardous waste collection and recycling

Household hazardous waste (HHW) has proliferated with the growing consumption of household products, highlighting the importance of an effective management program. Although industrialized nations have employed collection programs for HHW, their efficiencies are not appropriately assessed. North America currently lacks comprehensive studies on the efficiency of HHW programs. This study introduces two metrics: Collection Ratio (CollectRat) and Recycling Ratio (RecylRat), to analyze the efficacy of HHW collection and recycling. The study develops predictive models for these metrics to identify key household characteristics influencing HHW management practices. Management practices are shifting towards recycling, although reuse remains low, peaking at 20.9 % in California and 10.8 % in Texas. By examining the metrics using American and Canadian datasets, results show that collection rates are higher in highly populated regions, unlike recycling rates. Most Canadian HHW programs have adopted the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, while California has recently introduced EPR for certain household products, leading to increased public awareness and improved waste management practices. Findings suggest HHW collection ratio alone does not represent waste recycling well. The rate of collection and recycling depends on household characteristics such as family size, educational attainment, and other factors. The use of efficiency metrics in forecasting models helps to understand trends in HHW management in North America and can be applied to other jurisdictions. • Two efficiency metrics are proposed for cross-jurisdictional HHW program assessment. • California has 3.76 times higher HHW collection rates compared to Texas. • We found that HHW collection and recycling rates depend on household characteristics. • HHW collection rates are higher in populated regions, but recycling rates are not. • Canadian HHW programs have adopted extended producer responsibility framework.