The impact of recycling on the productivity of Municipal Solid Waste: a comparison of the Malmquist and Malmquist-Luenberger Productivity Indexes

Enhancing the economic and environmental efficiency of municipal solid waste (MSW) management is crucial for transitioning to a circular economy achieving cost-efficient sustainable practices. In this study, we introduce an innovative approach examine influence MSW recycling on performance over multiple years. We employ non-parametric method assess compare Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) Malmquist-Luenberger (MLPI) across 143 municipalities in Chile from 2015 2019. The findings reveal positive trend both MPI MLPI. average eco-productivity change relatively lower than productivity throughout evaluated aggregated scores MLPI between 2019 stand at 2.73 1.33, respectively. primary driver attributed technical advancements, leading shift efficient frontier, while predominantly arises enhancements. This implies that have employed diverse strategies enhance their performance. results implications study hold significance policymakers regional local levels, offering valuable insights optimising within context economy.