Institutional, Economic, and Human Resource Issues Associated with Solid Waste Services in Latin America

The management of municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Latin America is, and traditionally has been, a primary responsibility of local governments. In a large percentage of medium-size municipalities in the region, the management of MSW may use between 30% and 50% of the total municipal budget. The management of solid wastes is a complicated process that not only requires the proper selection and application of approaches for the storage, collection, transport, transfer, processing, and final disposal of the material, but also depends upon the close cooperation between the users, the private sector, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.