Sorting through the Trash: The Waste Management Crisis in Southern Italy

In recent years, waste collection and disposal have met unprecedented challenges in southern Italy. Illegal dumping is widespread, and waste trafficking is a key activity of organised crime. At the same time, landfills approach capacity. Yet, the transition to industrial treatment and recycling is slow. This paper examines the political reasons for a delay that deeply impacts on citizens' welfare, with a focus on the regions of Campania and Sicily. After tracing the process of elite decision-making, it argues that while the two regions face different institutional features the crisis is explained in both cases by institutional proliferation, clientelism and fragile executives favouring political expedience over technical expertise.