Waste management challenges reported in Flor de Bastión and Cusco

Residents in the Flor de Bastión sector of Guayaquil, Ecuador, are reporting issues with waste accumulation and unpleasant odors. Local inhabitants note that while garbage collection occurs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 08:00, significant amounts of waste remain in public spaces. Residents expressed concerns that the current service is insufficient, as workers reportedly leave behind smaller debris and do not sweep the areas. The accumulation of food scraps and plastics has raised fears regarding health risks, specifically the potential for mosquito-borne diseases like dengue during rainy periods.

In Cusco, Peru, the Jaquira landfill receives approximately 450 tons of waste daily from eight districts. Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) indicates that in 2024, municipalities in the Cusco region collected an average of 926 tons of solid waste per day from households, markets, and tourism sectors. Challenges persist as 99 out of 116 municipalities in the region reported using open-air dumps, while 67 reported instances of clandestine waste accumulation and burning, contributing to environmental pollution.