The Metropolitan Region of Santiago is closely connected to the Maipo River, whose basin covers 90% of the regional surface and its main tributary, the Mapocho River, flows through the city of Santiago (DGA, 2014). One significant risk in the basin is the movement of solid waste through the rivers, particularly as they pass through urban areas. I is estimated that there are approximately 50 waste accumulation sites per 10,000 m² of riverbanks along the Maipo and Mapocho rivers (Ergas and Thiel, 2022).
Through the Urban Ocean program, the Metropolitan Region of Santiago aims to identify gaps in its solid waste management system that contribute to leakage and leverage opportunities towards tackling illegal dumping sites to build urban resilience.
Project Statement
Tackling Illegal Dumping Sites in Santiago to Build Urban Resilience focuses on addressing illegal dump sites and micro-dump sites from a perspective that emphasizes coordination, data collection and analysis, as well as environmental education.
The Project Statement outlines the city’s vision for the project and the impact it aims to achieve, highlighting the urgency of the issue and the importance of taking immediate action.
Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) Report
In March – April 2022, a team from Circularity Informatics Lab conducted fieldwork in Santiago, with field support from the Ministry of Environment and students from the Universidad de San Sebastián in Santiago. The CAP was also conducted with support from Ocean Conservancy.
The CAP, developed by the Circularity Informatics Lab at the University of Georgia, is a standardized method of collecting community-level data on plastic usage to inform decision-makers.
City Waste Management Profile
Santiago’s Profile highlights challenges in waste management exacerbated by climate change, including increased waste decomposition and landfill fire risks. Unequal resource distribution among municipalities further complicates resilience. Opportunities lie in implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law to improve recycling infrastructure and regulatory simplification, aiming to enhance waste management practices and resilience in the region.
The City Waste Management Profile evaluates a city’s waste management system, identifying risks and vulnerabilities to support resilience, reduce plastic pollution, and foster tailored solutions.
Urban Ocean is a capacity-building and accelerator program to end ocean plastic pollution and build more resilient communities in cities. Urban Ocean champions circular economy principles, builds awareness of ocean plastic, assesses waste management systems and supports cities to develop projects that address the interrelated challenges of ocean plastics and resilience. Since 2020, the program has been implemented in cities across Asia and Latin America. The program is jointly implemented by Resilient Cities Network, Ocean Conservancy and The Circulate Initiative.