Comparative analysis of the street generation of inorganic urban solid waste (IUSW) in two neighborhoods of Mexico City

Inorganic urban solid waste (IUSW) is a serious problem in developing countries, and IUSW in the street that does not have adequate final disposal is responsible for serious environmental effects. The aim of this work was to determine the dynamics of the generation of IUSW in the streets of two neighborhoods of different socioeconomic strata in Mexico City during 5 weeks in 2006. The amount of IUSW was recorded every day from 9:00 to 12:00 h, separated, classified, and registered. It was found that plastic (50%) and paper (44.5%) wastes were found most frequently, whereas, textiles (0.4%) and glass (0.5%) wastes were present less frequently in all samples. The IUSWs without commercial brands were more abundant. Branded plastic wrappers of PepsiCo and Bimbo, as well as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers of Coca Cola, registered the highest values, while Gatorade, Barrilitos, and Peñafiel registered the lowest. The neighborhood with a higher income and more vegetation on sidewalks or in jardinières, which are used to hide solid waste, had more IUSW than the neighborhood with lower income, where IUSW was thrown out directly into the street. The knowledge of the real generation and composition of IUSW will contribute to the prevention of its negative environmental and social impacts, as well as guarantee the efficiency of its sustainable management.