Work

Sustainability indicators for municipal solid waste management in an Amazonian riverine city: A baseline assessment and circular economy policy gaps in Bagua, Peru

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Rapid urbanisation in Amazonian riverine cities poses persistent challenges for sustainable municipal solid waste (MSW) management, where hydrological connectivity amplifies environmental risks. This study aims to develop and operationalise a baseline sustainability indicator framework for municipal solid waste management in a riverine Amazonian city (Bagua, Peru; a high-density city adjacent to the Utcubamba River), integrating waste generation , composition, service coverage, and environmental exposure metrics — using stratified characterisation data (n = 115 waste-generating units, 920 observations) collected across four socio-environmental zones during March–April 2016, complemented by operational landfill records (2018–2023) as supplementary context. The citywide MSW generation rate was 0.570±0.043 kg/capita/day, with pronounced organic waste dominance (64.9 ± 4.1%). Spatial analysis revealed marked service inequities: collection coverage declined from 98.5% in the urban core to 45% in riverside informal settlements, with an estimated 3.11 tonnes/day of uncollected waste discharged directly to the Utcubamba River. Despite Peru's Circular Economy Law (DL 1501/2020), valorisation rates stagnated below 5% through 2023. Three features distinguish this study: it provides the first stratified, pre-policy baseline for a secondary Peruvian Amazonian riverine city; it integrates four diagnostic dimensions — generation, composition, spatial equity, and fluvial exposure — into a unified framework; and it furnishes the reference point against which Peru’s Circular Economy Law (DL 1501/2020) and the newly approved National Circular Economy Roadmap 2030 (HRNEC, DS N° 003–2025-MINAM) may be retrospectively evaluated. Findings reveal a Bagua valorisation rate of <5% against a HRNEC 2030 national target of 10%, flagging a policy-critical implementation deficit in secondary Amazonian cities. The six-step analytical framework is directly replicable for sub-national SDG monitoring in data-constrained riverine cities across the Global South

Source: Environmental Challenges

DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2026.101528

Authors: Freddy A. Manayay, Juan Eduardo Suarez-Rivadeneira, Gaudhy Sujhey Chavez-Pasco, Luis Felipe Perez-Medina, Maribel Lecca-González

Institutions: National University Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruíz Gallo, Universidad Señor de Sipán

Language: English

Topic: Municipal Solid Waste Management

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Clean water and sanitation, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,140