Systemic analysis of municipal solid waste management facility sustainability in municipalities with populations below 20,000 inhabitants

Abstract

In Colombia, the National Policy of Integrated Waste Management recognizes waste utilization as the most desirable alternative  for  managing  generated  solid  waste;  in  small  municipalities’  solid  waste,  its  implementation  has  been  taking place through Solid Waste Management Facilities-SWMFs. Studies carried out by governmental and academic institutions showed that although SWMFs generate environmental and social benefits, they present technological, economic, financial and institutional weaknesses, which put their sustainability in risk. In this paper, the Integrated Sustainable Waste Management approach is articulated with the System Dynamics Approach to consider and analyze the interrelationship among the key elements that influence SWMFs functioning and sustainability, based on information obtained through national dissemination events and assessments held in five SWMFs located northern Valle del Cauca. The  systemic  analysis  led  to  identify  six  cycles  or  interrelationship  groups.  These  were  used  to  establish  the  bases  for SWMFs sustainability, namely: economic resources, contextualized research and conceptual development, users’ awareness, contextualized technological development business management and recovered material.