Over 380000 tons of vegetable waste is produced annually in the “Campo de Dalías” zone (Almería, Spain), deriving from the diverse existing crops grown under plastic cover. Landfills containing this vegetable waste are a potential breeding ground for diseases and pests, they can also be the subject of uncontrolled burning, cause a riverbed blockage and, at the same time, they are an unsightly aspect of the landscape. The only way to prevent or minimize this problem is to adopt a comprehensive and environmentally sensitive waste management program. The utilization of the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) has allowed the monetarization of the total environmental benefit of the projects undertaken, composting plant or in an energy recycling process, to the... |