INVESTIGATION OF PLASTIC WASTE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS HYPOTHESIS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Öz

Plastics have become an indispensable part of modern life. Although plastics, which become waste after use, are recycled for the economy, they have become a critical problem because many cause environmental pollution and threaten life. It is known that the use of plastics has increased rapidly in parallel with the increase in income that has emerged from the increasing industrialization since the 1950s. According to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth. Considering the critical importance of the plastic waste problem, plastic waste should also be evaluated with the EKC approach. For this purpose, panel data analysis was applied to the plastic waste data of the European Union countries. Research findings show that the EKC validates plastic waste in EU countries from 2004 to 2019. This shows that environmental policies should be planned around the Plastic Waste EKC.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Plastic Waste
• Panel Data Analysis
• Environmental Kuznets Hypothesis
• Environmental Kuznets Curve
• European Union

PLASTİK ATIKLARIN ÇEVRESEL KUZNETS EĞRİSİ HİPOTEZİ İLE İNCELENMESİ: AVRUPA BİRLİĞİ ÜLKELERİ ÜZERİNE AMPİRİK BİR ÇALIŞMA

Öz

Plastikler modern yaşamın vazgeçilmez bir parçası haline geldi. Kullanıldıktan sonra atığa dönüşen plastikler ekonomi için geri dönüştürülse de önemli bir kısmı çevre kirliliğine neden olduğu ve yaşamı tehdit ettiği için kritik bir sorun haline geldi. 1950'li yıllardan itibaren artan sanayileşme ile ortaya çıkan gelir artışına paralel olarak plastik kullanımının hızla arttığı bilinmektedir. Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi’ne göre çevre kirliliği ile ekonomik büyüme arasında ters U şeklinde bir ilişki vardır. Plastik atık sorunun kritik önemi göz önüne alındığında, plastik atıkların da Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi yaklaşımıyla değerlendirilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu amaçla Avrupa Birliği ülkelerine ilişkin plastik atık verilerine panel veri analizi uygulanmıştır. Araştırma bulguları çevresel Kuznets eğrisinin 2004-2019 döneminde AB ülkelerindeki plastik atıklar için geçerli olduğunu gösteriyor. Bu da çevre politikalarının Plastik Atık Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi etrafında planlanması gerektiğini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Plastik Atık
• Çevresel Kuznets Hipotezi
• Çevresel Kuznets Eğrisi
• Panel Veri Analizi,
• Avrupa Birliği
• Environmental Kuznets Hypothesis
• Environmental Kuznets Curve
• European Union

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