NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

WASHINGTON, DC, December 10, 2012 (ENS) – Bolivia will improve municipal solid waste management services such as collection, transportation, and disposal, with a $20 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, the bank announced today.

The Ministry of Environment and Water will run the new program, which is expected to increase the final disposal of trash in landfills from 37 percent to 51 percent nationwide. It will contribute to environmental improvements in Bolivian cities such as Riberalta and Potosi, the highest city in the world once flush with silver from the mines of Cerro Rico.

The program was designed around lessons learned through successful experiences in other cities, including Bolivia’s capital, La Paz. The bank calculates it will benefit approximately one million people.

Municipal services such as street sweeping, collection, transportation, recycling and disposal of solid waste will be funded to increase the disposal of trash in landfills and improve the operating efficiency of service providers.

The program also aims to improve the quality of life for recyclers currently working in landfills, offering them training under the framework of a labor inclusion and formalization plan.

Nationwide, 4.6 percent of municipal solid waste is recovered by waste pickers who either collect trash door-to-door or work at trash holding facilities.