Sara Ojeda-Benítez

Characterization and quantification of household solid wastes in a Mexican city

This paper presents the results of a study carried out in a community of the city of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The purpose of the study was to describe the household solid wastes (HSW) generated by the community in order to identify the potential of the wastes for recycling. The results obtained are used to make an evaluation of the recycling potential for other communities similar to the one studied. These communities are located in the area of greatest and most recent growth in the city.

Formal and informal recovery of recyclables in Mexicali, Mexico: handling alternatives

The purpose of this paper is to review the case of a Mexican municipality in this field and highlight and identify critical gaps to be addressed. The paper seeks to explore intersectorial partnerships as a means to achieve sustainable solid waste management systems. Its point of departure is that, the highest level of service and maximum benefit is gained when a municipality sees its solid waste management mandates and handicaps clearly, uses the strengths of the other actors. The four main types of actors considered in this paper are: the municipal government, the formal private (commercial) sector, and the informal sector, which, includes individuals, small entrepreneurs, and micro-enterprises already working with discarded materials or having the potential to do so. Community based organizations (CBOs), either idealistically motivated or working for their own welfare, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), usually in pursuit of their own idealistic goals are also a part of the informal sector.

Mexican educational institutions and waste management programmes: a University case study

Abstract Unlike most developed countries, Mexico has inadequate, enacted legislation and similarly ineffective regulation regimes, to cover the majority of current, key waste management issues. Because of this, an opportunity has been lost to drive the sustainable waste management agenda through the engagement of industry, commerce and the general public. To encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable practice, the educational system in Mexico needs to become pro-active and develop a range of suitable programmes for students at all levels. It must be acknowledged that there are a number of key barriers to the development of such sustainability-based programmes. Central and local authorities rarely have the knowledge base required to facilitate such developments and this added to internal organisational problems within institutions means that developments in new, multi-disciplinary areas are given low priority. This paper describes a case study of the development of a solid waste management programme in the University of Baja California—this is unique within Mexico.

The municipal solid waste cycle in Mexico: final disposal

Cities in Mexico, as other cities around the world, face the serious problem of environmental pollution, caused mainly, by the inadequate and inefficient final disposal of their generated solid and liquid waste. An analysis of one stage of the municipal solid waste (MSW) cycle in Mexico is given in this paper; presenting the results of research in four cities. Four case studies, where the sanitary landfill and the uncontrolled dump, with varying degrees of management, are used as the final disposal for MSW are presented.

The potential for recycling household waste: a case study from Mexicali, Mexico

This paper demonstrates the great potential for recycling and for reducing waste volumes based on a study of household waste in a neighbourhood in Mexicali. The research recorded the weight of waste generated and analyzed its composition, drawing on 1,292 samples from 120 households. Most of the waste was recyclable or potentially recyclable and a recycling programme would bring benefits not only by reducing waste volumes and pollution but also by greatly lengthening the life of the existing city dump. The paper also considers which other neighbourhoods in Mexicali are likely to have comparable waste patterns and discusses the measures needed to develop a recycling programme.

Household Solid Waste Characteristics and Management in Rural Communities

Globally there is a lack of knowledge about waste generation and composition in rural areas because these types of studies have been conducted mainly in big cities. This leaves the local sanitation authorities without information to properly plan its operations. Generally, characterization studies are carried out by using the technique of sampling taking at home level. This method requires human, material and economic resources that sometimes are limited for local sanitation authorities. This paper presents the results of a characterization study obtained by direct analysis of household solid waste generated in two rural communities in northern Mexico. The research also outlines a procedure for estimating the waste generation rate when financial constraints prevent the development of a characterization study at home level. This study attempts to fill the information gap on the generation and composition of solid waste in rural areas. The results indicate a waste generation of 0.631 kg/cap/day in San Quintin and 1.047 kg/cap/day in Vicente Guerrero. The specific weights of the uncompacted SW were respectively 145 kg/m 3 and 123 kg/m 3 . The specific weight of the compacted SW was 229 kg/m 3 in San Quintin. Statistically, the composition of waste between these two rural communities differs in one fraction.

Municipal Solid Waste Generation and Characterization in Ensenada,Mexico

A comprehensive study of the generation and characterization of municipal solid waste is essential to the long- term efficient and economical planning for solid waste management. The aim of this study was to quantify and analyze the solid waste generated in the city of Ensenada, Mexico, and to use this data in a project that will generate energy through methane gas production. Ensenadas per capita waste generation is approximately 0.87 ± 0.07 kg per person per day within a 98% confidence interval. Ensenadas solid waste composition consists of food scraps at 34.28%, paper and cardboard 22.49%, plastic 12.53%, disposable diapers 7.14%, and textiles 6.58%. Of the total waste generated, 86.36% has potential for reuse, whereas 13.65% has no further identifiable use and must be landfilled. Of the usable percentage, 48.34% can be recycled and 51.66% can be used to generate energy, obtaining financial and environmental benefits.

Application of analytic hierarchy process in a waste treatment technology assessment in Mexico

The high per capita generation of solid waste and the environmental problems in major rural communities of Ensenada, Baja California, have prompted authorities to seek alternatives for waste treatment. In the absence of a selection methodology, three technologies of waste treatment with energy recovery (an anaerobic digester, a downdraft gasifier, and a plasma gasifier) were evaluated, taking the broader social, political, economic, and environmental issues into considerations. Using the scientific literature as a baseline, interviews with experts, decision makers and the community, and waste stream studies were used to construct a hierarchy that was evaluated by the analytic hierarchy process. In terms of the criteria, judgments, and assumptions made in the model, the anaerobic digester was found to have the highest rating and should consequently be selected as the waste treatment technology for this area. The study results showed low sensitivity, so alternative scenarios were not considered. The methodology developed in this study may be useful for other governments who wish to assess technologies to select waste treatment.

Household hazardous wastes as a potential source of pollution: a generation study.

Certain domestic wastes exhibit characteristics that render them dangerous, such as explosiveness, flammability, spontaneous combustion, reactivity, toxicity and corrosiveness. The lack of information about their generation and composition hinders the creation of special programs for their collection and treatment, making these wastes a potential threat to human health and the environment. We attempted to quantify the levels of hazardous household waste (HHW) generated in Mexicali, Mexico. The analysis considered three socioeconomic strata and eight categories. The sampling was undertaken on a house-by-house basis, and hypothesis testing was based on differences between two proportions for each of the eight categories. In this study, HHW comprised 3.49% of the total generated waste, which exceeded that reported in previous studies in Mexico. The greatest quantity of HHW was generated by the middle stratum; in the upper stratum, most packages were discarded with their contents remaining. Cleaning products represent 45.86% of the HHW generated. Statistical differences were not observed for only two categories among the three social strata. The scarcity of studies on HHW generation limits direct comparisons. Any decrease in waste generation within the middle social stratum will have a large effect on the total amount of waste generated, and decrease their impact on environmental and human health.

Solid Waste Management in a Mexican University Using a Community-Based Social Marketing Approach

Waste separation and recycling programs in higher education institutions requires an approach that reach people in different ways. Social marketing approach has proved to be effective in helping reach the desired change for very different initiatives. In this paper is presented a sixteen month experience of a paper and cardboard separation program at the Ensenada Campus of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC). Although the support from the University authorities is important, through different experiences it was found that in UABC the programs that work better are the ones that do not depend on the work of personnel but on the participation of students and academic staff. To gain this participation the strategies used in social marketing were used. To date through UABC s paper and cardboard program the institution has diverted more than six tons of this type of waste from the main waste stream. Based on the evaluation of the program and on the increasing community response, it can be said that the social marketing strategies used in this program were successful.