Trash piling up in Mexico despite reform - Gayo Lues

Garbage trucks have been forced to wait in line for up to six hours ever since city officials closed down the Bordo Poniente landfill in the country’s capitol, Mexico City, in December 2011, to help reduce the country’s output of greenhouse gases.

Officials estimate there are 1,000 illegal dumping sites in the city, generating more than 12,000 tons of refuse a day.

The trash is also hauled from neighboring towns into Mexico City, one of the world’s largest cities, where more than 21 million people live.

Earlier this week, controversy surrounded the closure of the Bordo Poniente landfill when city officials were caught dumping tons of trash at the dumpsite which was supposed to be closed.

“There is some confusion, as we can see, in some parts of the city due to problems with the garbage pickup, as a result of the closing of the Bordo, despite the fact that there had been warnings about this closing multiple times,” said Pierree Terras, toxin campaign coordinator for Greenpeace Mexico.

The closure of the landfill is expected to drop greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of two million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

“When you have a landfill of that size, with 12,600 tons of garbage going in, obviously the emissions are very significant,” Terras concluded.

Mexico initiated a recycling program in 2003 but has been unsuccessful in implementing and encouraging residents to participate in the program.

GMA/MYA