Towards an inclusive municipal solid waste management system: A case study from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract: The city of Xalapa, like many Mexican cities, does not count with any sort of official recycling program. Resource recovery relies on the work performed by the informal recycling sector and often, such work is neglected by the local government. In line with this, the aim of this study is to evaluate if a participatory resource management is a more suitable option than the current approach; so that the informal recycling sector can be included into the formal waste management system. In order to do so, this study employed a case study method using qualitative data; during the month of field work in Xalapa, semi- structured interviews and observation were the techniques used for collecting data. Concepts such as informal economy, participatory resource management, network theory and waste management were employed to analyze the organization and operation of the formal and informal waste management systems. Drawn from the results and analysis, it was presented that the informal recycling sector in Xalapa is composed of 5 different types of actors. Some of these actors are organized, while others work independently. The study revealed that their income is related to their capability of accessing to infrastructure and resources. This access to infrastructure and resources takes the form of a secondary materials trade hierarchy where the income of an actor depends on their ability to add value to their recovered materials. Additionally, organized actors tend to be less prone to manipulation and exploitation. Furthermore, it was deemed relevant to look at the current policies and regulations as well as to the action plans proposed by the local government for alleviating the solid waste crisis in Xalapa. It was identified that to consider a participatory resource management approach, several barriers need to be overcome; these barriers lie within the governance and social spectrum. However, despite the identified barriers, the current waste management system has opportunities for creating a more inclusive and socially just municipal solid waste management system.