Abstract

In most developing countries, the composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) arriving at final disposal sites (FDSs) differs from that at the source due to informal segregation of potentially recyclable waste (PRW) during its management, as well as because FDSs typically receive MSW from multiple municipalities. After exhaustively reviewing methods and studies of MSW characterization at their source, in collection trucks, and at FDSs, a lack of standardized methods for in situ characterization was identified, so this work proposes an innovative methodology to characterize MSW in situ at FDSs through the integration of geographic information systems to delimit the FDS or the selected cell(s) and the application of systematic sampling based on the NMX-AA-132-SCFI-2016 standard. To validate its applicability, MSW was sampled and characterized during the 2023 and 2024 dry (DS) and rainy seasons (RS) at a waste integral center in Tenango del Valle, Estado de México. The average compositions of organic waste were 15.3 ± 0.8% and 10.6 ± 0.1%; for PRW, they were 59.3 ± 5.4% and 50.5 ± 4.0%; and for the residual fraction, they were 25.4 ± 4.6% and 39.0 ± 4.1% in DS and RS, respectively; however, significant differences between seasonal or annual means could not be determined due to the limited sample size. The high percentages of PRW determined in situ are attributed to mixed household collection and show the potential to be recovered. The use of the proposed methodology enables representative in situ characterization of MSW after disposal with a lower level of significance, and it can be useful for decision-making regarding sustainable waste management projects.

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