Reciclacentros: a sustainable municipal solid waste management initiative in a Mexican city

Abstract

Due to the increase in the generation of municipal solid waste and its impact on the environment and health, governments have been overburdened by its impact. Therefore, they have developed initiatives for waste disposal options in which citizens are involved. For that reason, this article aims to identify the population sector that participates in the separation of municipal solid waste and goes to the collection centers, as well as to characterize waste in three points known as Reciclacentros in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora. For this purpose, surveys were applied, selecting the respondents in a non-probabilistic way. In the characterization, the amount of waste received at each point was weighed. The data obtained were analyzed through a non-parametric Kruskal - Wallis test with 95% confidence (p<0.05). It was found that the people going to the Reciclacentros have an average monthly income of more than 30 thousand Mexican pesos, mostly young adult women between 25 and 44 years old, with the highest participation. In addition, the collection center identified as R3 presented a significantly higher difference in waste received with respect to the other collection centers in the period evaluated (23 t). Cardboard and paper, plastic, and glass are the most recovered waste in the city.