Buenos Aires and Lima meet for a city exchange on Solid Waste Management
Buenos Aires, 12- 15 September 2022 – UN-Habitat, the City of Lima, Peru, and the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized a study visit on solid waste management, supported by the Urban Pathways project, and under UN-Habitat's "Waste Wise Cities Challenge". The "Changemaker City" Lima, committed to establishing a sustainable waste management system, was invited by the "Supporter City" Buenos Aires that shared knowledge and best practices on waste management and recycling. The study visit created a platform for mutual learning, and consequently, to improve solid waste management in both cities.
The exchange started with a presentation by Buenos Aires, introducing the city’s municipal solid waste management (MSWM) strategies, good practices and long-term plans. Thereafter, the delegation visited the City's Recycling Center to learn about the industrial processes of recycling various materials: organics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and construction waste.
The second day was kicked off with a visit to the Palermo Compost Centre to learn about the technical, operational and management practices of solid waste management. During the visit, it became clear that one of the priorities of Buenos Aires is to improve the reuse of organic waste. Moreover, to better understand the links between MSWM and social inclusion, the teams have visited the recycling cooperatives of El Ceibo and Recuperadores Urbanos del Oeste. Both organisations provided inspiring insights about innovative initiatives to value materials in handicraft processes, which result in the production of furniture, decorative objects, clothes and other items. These are marketed and essentially improve the income of the recyclers. Camilo De La Cruz Lavan, E-waste analyst from Lima felt very inspired by Buenos Aires' approach to ensuring social inclusion of waste pickers, their city-wide network and the capacity they have. “This makes us see the importance of working with our central government on the issue of reforming legal frameworks, especially to boost the social dimension of waste management” – he said.
On the third day, the delegation visited the fixed and mobile garbage collection points (“Green Points”) that are distributed throughout the various districts of the city. In Buenos Aires, the collection points receive not only classic recyclable materials such as metals, plastics, and paper, but also cooking oil, electronics, batteries, coffee capsules, and organics.
Stefany Lisbeth Aroni Broncano, Municipal Solid Waste analyst from Lima, stated that “in Buenos Aires, it struck me that they work not only with social actors, but also with the support of many private companies to promote the recycling of the waste they generate. I am also inspired by the way they create normative frameworks to support waste pickers’ cooperatives to better organize themselves.”
The study visit enabled Lima’s delegation to identify the challenges and vulnerabilities in the waste sector, and to learn about good practices for recovery facilities’ operation and education programmes, as well as the waste management governance system. The team from Lima drafted an Action Plan during the study visit, which will the basis to mobilize necessary resources for implementing priority actions. This study visit has been one step towards a long-term collaboration between the two cities and UN-Habitat, and has left both cities full of ideas to further improve solid waste management.
Buenos Aires, 12- 15 September 2022 – UN-Habitat, the City of Lima, Peru, and the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized a study visit on solid waste management, supported by the Urban Pathways project, and under UN-Habitat's "Waste Wise Cities Challenge". The "Changemaker City" Lima, committed to establishing a sustainable waste management system, was invited by the "Supporter City" Buenos Aires that shared knowledge and best practices on waste management and recycling. The study visit created a platform for mutual learning, and consequently, to improve solid waste management in both cities.
The exchange started with a presentation by Buenos Aires, introducing the city’s municipal solid waste management (MSWM) strategies, good practices and long-term plans. Thereafter, the delegation visited the City's Recycling Center to learn about the industrial processes of recycling various materials: organics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and construction waste.
The second day was kicked off with a visit to the Palermo Compost Centre to learn about the technical, operational and management practices of solid waste management. During the visit, it became clear that one of the priorities of Buenos Aires is to improve the reuse of organic waste. Moreover, to better understand the links between MSWM and social inclusion, the teams have visited the recycling cooperatives of El Ceibo and Recuperadores Urbanos del Oeste. Both organisations provided inspiring insights about innovative initiatives to value materials in handicraft processes, which result in the production of furniture, decorative objects, clothes and other items. These are marketed and essentially improve the income of the recyclers. Camilo De La Cruz Lavan, E-waste analyst from Lima felt very inspired by Buenos Aires' approach to ensuring social inclusion of waste pickers, their city-wide network and the capacity they have. “This makes us see the importance of working with our central government on the issue of reforming legal frameworks, especially to boost the social dimension of waste management” – he said.
On the third day, the delegation visited the fixed and mobile garbage collection points (“Green Points”) that are distributed throughout the various districts of the city. In Buenos Aires, the collection points receive not only classic recyclable materials such as metals, plastics, and paper, but also cooking oil, electronics, batteries, coffee capsules, and organics.
Stefany Lisbeth Aroni Broncano, Municipal Solid Waste analyst from Lima, stated that “in Buenos Aires, it struck me that they work not only with social actors, but also with the support of many private companies to promote the recycling of the waste they generate. I am also inspired by the way they create normative frameworks to support waste pickers’ cooperatives to better organize themselves.”
The study visit enabled Lima’s delegation to identify the challenges and vulnerabilities in the waste sector, and to learn about good practices for recovery facilities’ operation and education programmes, as well as the waste management governance system. The team from Lima drafted an Action Plan during the study visit, which will the basis to mobilize necessary resources for implementing priority actions. This study visit has been one step towards a long-term collaboration between the two cities and UN-Habitat, and has left both cities full of ideas to further improve solid waste management.
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