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2.4 Topic g: Waste characterization

Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reports on waste quantification and characterization. Most research done in waste characterization is done in academic institutions. The research is done to improve waste management programs and determine the most efficient way to recycle wastes. Also, waste management authori-ties characterize waste in order to estimate required landfill space and necessary infrastructure.

Lately, researchers have shown concern on the quality of the waste characterization data, as the number of variables can be very large. For example, there are significant differences between poorer and richer areas within cities, between cities and towns, between different seasons etc. The University of Chile has recently published a three-year study on waste characterization which shows that the sampling methods presently being used in the region need to be reviewed, and that available data may not be reliable. Mexico has an officially approved procedure for the analysis of wastes.

From the available data, it is clear that quantities and quality of wastes are related to the economic conditions of the countries. The richer ones generate more wastes per inhabitant, and their wastes tend to contain more paper, glass, and metal containers than in the poorer countries.

Waste quantities generated range between 0.3-1.0 kg/inhabitant/day (this includes commercial, market, and street-cleaning wastes). Densities vary between 150 and 200 kg/m3 (when measured loosely), and range from 400-500 kg/m3 after compaction in the truck. In landfills, densities go up to 700-1000 kg/m3 after compaction on-site.

On average, wastes are very humid (approximately, 45-50%) and have a high organics content (40-50%). Organics content (and, therefore, humidity) tends to be higher in poorer countries. As the per-capita GDP grows, paper, plastics, glass, and metals content grows, since there is greater consumption of manufactured products. These differences are also observed between small towns (where the organics content is high) and large cities within the same country.

Also, as the region grows economically, the percentages of paper, glass, and plastic content are expected to grow. The growth rate will be slower than might have been expected, however, because there are already some campaigns promoting waste reduction in the region.

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