The management of urban solid waste is a growing priority both in large cities and in rural settings, and in developed and
developing countries. Many factors can influence the type and amount of waste generated, including population density, level of
industrialisation, quality of life of households, type of area (urban/rural) and local climate. In this paper, we introduce an index of
solid waste recycling over a ten-year period and examine the influence of several such factors on this index. A descriptive and
spatial analysis reveals significant differences by region; thus, the values of the recycling indicators are higher in northern Spain
than in the south. In this respect, a clear progression was observed during the study decade. Using panel data analysis, a balanced
model with fixed effects is fitted to explain the waste recycling index, and the factors that significantly influence this index are
identified. The method presented in this paper could subsequently be extrapolated for application to other areas or regions.