Wasteaware adaptation to the context of a Latin American country: evaluation of the municipal solid waste management in Cali, Colombia

Abstract

According to the World Bank report, Colombia generated 5.6% (13 million tons per year) of municipal solid waste in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016. About 30% of this waste came from the three main cities of the country, Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali. Evaluation of the performance of municipal solid waste management systems is important for reducing environmental and public health impacts in cities. Wasteaware benchmark indicators have been used worldwide for monitoring those systems. The results of the adaptation of this methodology to the Context of a Latin American Country are presented in this research. The solid waste comprehensive management policy and regulatory framework in Colombia were considered. As a case study, the adaptation of Wasteaware was implemented using the data from the Cali solid waste management system for 2019. The results of the evaluation for Cali indicate that system presents a high overall performance (91%). Cali achieved the highest performance when compared to other Latin American cities. The implementation of this management instrument in Colombian cities will provide sufficient and relevant information regarding the municipal solid waste management systems. It is expected that this initiative will be replicated in other cities in Latin America.