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The separate collection of individual recyclable waste materials is the basis for any recycling process. This produces important advantages, especially in terms of resource savings. This paper investigates the drivers of the separate collection process of recyclable materials (i.e., organic, paper, glass, plastic) and its total in the 103 Italian provinces (NUTS-3), in the years 2004-2011. Results show that the pillars of institutional quality (such as, voice and accountability, rule of law and regulatory quality), value added per capita and participation to ecological associations are important factors for an effective implementation of the waste separation process. In particular, these factors do matter for an effective collection of organic waste, paper, glass and plastic. Furthermore, the analysis shows marked differences among macroareas (North, Central and Southern Italy). Policy considerations are discussed.

This article examines the Italian policy framework on the employment of disabled people. It discusses the strengths and limitations of Law 68 of 12 March 1999 (Regulation on the right to work of disabled people). Despite it having been enacted 16 years after being passed, Law 68/99 still faces problems in its implementation. The data analysis shows the propensity of firms to flout their obligations with regard to the recruitment of disabled people, preferring instead the risk of being sanctioned. In order for Law 68/99 to have a positive effect on the employment of disabled people, higher incentives (including subsidies for labour costs) must be introduced for employers, especially to enable the adaptation and adjustment of the workplace. With these inducements, firms would be encouraged to recruit disabled people and avoid penalties. In addition, disability management policies (still rarely implemented in the Italian workplace) and comprehensive training programmes can play a crucial role in overcoming discriminatory constraints regarding skills and physical ability, so as to increase the employability of disabled people in the labour market.