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Mexico City Begins Mandatory Three-Stream Waste Sorting for Households

Officials aim to cut landfill disposal by pairing source separation with a fixed pickup schedule.

Overview

  • Collection now follows a set calendar: organics on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and inorganics on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with recyclable and non‑recyclable inorganics handed over in separate bags.
  • Residents must sort into green (organic), gray (recyclable inorganics) and orange (non‑recyclable inorganics) streams under the citywide rule that took effect January 1.
  • In the initial phase there are no monetary fines; collection crews have been instructed not to pick up improperly sorted waste to drive compliance.
  • Authorities cite roughly 8,500 tonnes of daily waste, about 7,000 now landfilled, and set a 2030 goal to transform or recycle at least 50%, with AGIR targeting recovery of up to 75% after rollout from a current 15% separation rate.
  • Public guidance includes Profeco’s color‑coded bag advice and durability testing, information campaigns in early 2026, and an announced addition of 50 collection trucks, with deployment details expected January 6.