Recycling Efficiencies in Japan’s Administrative Regions: Findings from Network Data Envelopment Analysis

Recycling is an essential part of circular economy. This research constructs a two-stage waste generation and recycling activity model, selecting Japan as a case study object to explore its recycling efficiencies through this model. Japan’s regional recycling efficiency is assessed in two stages: waste collection as stage 1 and the treatment and process of the recycling waste as stage 2. We adopt a network data envelopment analysis (DEA) model by Tone and Tsutsui (2009) to measure the recycling efficiencies of 47 administrative regions in Japan, taking in account multiple inputs and outputs from 2013 to 2017. The empirical results indicate that the efficiency of stage one (waste collection) performs worse than that of stage two (treatment and process of recyclables). The metropolitan regions consistently outperform the rural regions, because the metropolitan regions perform better in stage one (waste collection). Local governments should improve the waste collection by co-working with local communities and volunteer groups. All regions perform relatively more efficiently in stage 2 (waste processing).