ABSTRACT
Innovative Solutions for Latin America’s Growing Waste Problem – Annarose Qualls
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Latin America is a diverse region of cultures, languages, and people groups. Running from the Southern tip of Patagonia to the Mexican border town of Tijuana, it contains wide economic variance. Due to a history of conflict and colonization, Latin America is still young in its development. As the region rapidly globalizes, consumption is rising, along with waste. Infrastructural sectors such as waste management remain unregulated and un-standardized, resulting in issues of health and human rights. This paper examines ten possible solutions to the problem, ranging from dump closures and bans on single-waste plastics to musical garbage trucks. Considering the geographical, cultural, and economic variance of the region, an integrated approach is recommended. Uniting efforts to form integrated waste management systems, promote environmentally responsible production and consumption, efficiently handle organic waste, and create societal change through public education has the potential to reverse impending environmental degradation in Latin America.
JOURNAL of the MARTIN INSTITUTE | INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
