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Mexico City to Begin Mandatory Three-Way Household Waste Separation on Jan. 1

Officials target 50% transformation by 2030 using container distribution, trained crews, a revised pickup calendar.

Overview

  • Residents must sort waste into organics (green), recyclables (gray) and non‑recyclables (orange), with organics collected Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the other two fractions on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
  • City guidance says bulky items go out on Sunday, and improperly separated or mistimed bags may be left uncollected, as no specific fines have been announced.
  • Rollout actions include door‑to‑door delivery of color‑coded containers starting in Azcapotzalco, outreach and training of sanitation staff and educators, and the handover of 50 new collection trucks on January 6 under a matching scheme with alcaldías.
  • Officials report only about 15% of waste currently arrives separated, and the program aims to recover up to 75% of materials as part of a broader push to expand composting and recycling capacity.
  • Local reports highlight irregular pickup and illegal dumps that could complicate uptake, and official communications cite divergent daily waste figures of roughly 8,500 to about 12,500 tonnes.