Yuhui Jeong, PhD candidate in Energy, Environmental, and Food Economics at Penn State University, will present the EEEP Seminar Series, “The Localized Effects of Food Waste Regulation on Odor and Property Values: Evidence from the Massachusetts Commercial Food Waste Ban” on September 17, 2025.
Abstract:
Decomposing food waste is a primary source of odor-related disamenities near landfills, representing one of the most salient local environmental burdens for nearby communities. This study evaluates whether upstream waste regulations can mitigate such localized impacts by focusing on the 2014 Massachusetts Commercial Food Waste Ban, which restricted landfill disposal by large food waste generators. Using a difference-in-differences framework, the analysis compares housing market outcomes before and after the policy. Results indicate that housing prices increased for homes located closer to landfills, particularly in downwind areas, while no consistent effects are observed upwind or at greater distances. These findings provide new causal evidence that food waste diversion policies, although not designed to address odor directly, can improve local environmental quality and enhance residential welfare.
Bio:
Yuhui Jeong is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Energy, Environmental, and Food Economics at Pennsylvania State University. Her research investigates the ways in which environmental risks and policy interventions, including landfill disamenities, wildfire building codes, and water reliability, influence housing markets and community welfare. Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned a Master’s degree in Development Policy from the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Korea and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Chung-Ang University. She previously worked with the African Development Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department and at ICLEI Korea.