Mexico City Boosts Compost Output Amid AGIR 2026 Award

The Integrated Waste Management Agency, Mexico City’s waste management agency, received the 2026 Waste Management Lifetime Achievement Award from DS LATAM – ISWA Mexico during Residuos Expo 2026, recognizing its role in strengthening public policy for integrated solid waste management in the capital. The distinction highlights the city government’s strategy to modernize waste management through coordinated policies, infrastructure investments and waste separation initiatives addressing the more than 12,500 metric tons of waste generated daily.

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The Integrated Waste Management Agency (AGIR), part of the government of Mexico City, received the 2026 Waste Management Lifetime Achievement Award from DS LATAM – ISWA México in recognition of its role in strengthening public policy for integrated solid waste management in the capital.

The award was presented during Residuos Expo 2026, a regional industry event that brings together companies, researchers, government officials, and organizations involved in waste management across Latin America. The ceremony took place on March 4, where Roberto Castillo, director general, AGIR, accepted the award on behalf of Mexico City’s head of government, Clara Brugada. 

AGIR, a decentralized public entity originally developed within Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) and currently operating under the Ministry of Works and Services, was installed in mid-2025 by Brugada. According to the mayor, AGIR was created to overhaul Mexico City’s waste management strategy, with the mission of promoting sustainable policies for the comprehensive management of urban solid waste. 

Mexico City generates more than 12,500 tons of waste per day, making the development of an integrated waste management system a key operational and environmental challenge for local authorities. Officials said the agency’s structure has helped strengthen coordination among multiple government departments responsible for waste collection, transport, treatment, and disposal.

As part of AGIR’s strategy, Mexico City plans to increase overall processing capacity by 50% to produce 400,000 tons of compost annually. To achieve this, MX$150 million (US$8.1 million) will be invested in upgrading the Bordo Poniente recycling plant, which draws inspiration from international models such as Madrid’s Valdemingómez waste management complex. Raúl Basulto, Mexico City’s Minister of Works and Services, explained that new composting facilities are also planned for the eastern zone of the city, particularly in Xochimilco, Milpa Alta, and Tlahuac.

Basulto says that AGIR is also working on expanding rubble-crushing facilities to improve the reuse of construction waste. In October 2025, he announced the construction of a specialized plant for processing tires and rubber, which will recycle and transform more than 250,000 tires per year into waterproofing materials and other industrial products.

Another priority project will focus on reusing asphalt mixture residues, known as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), to produce new materials for road resurfacing works. “Mexico City is moving toward a profound transformation in solid waste management, in coordination with AGIR,” Basulto said.

AGIR Leads Mexico City’s New Waste Separation Initiative

AGIR has also been tasked with leading Mexico City’s new “Transform Your City: Every Waste in Its Place” campaign. The citywide initiative requires residents to separate household waste into organic, recyclable, and nonrecyclable categories, aiming to reduce the volume of materials sent to landfills and increase the recovery of reusable resources. 

Under the new rules, which came into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, households must deliver separated waste directly to collection trucks, although no penalties will be imposed during the initial preparation phase this year. 

Each waste type is directed to a designated processing destination: organic waste is sent for composting and hydrothermal carbonization processes; recyclable inorganic waste is delivered to recycling plants; and nonrecyclable materials are converted into refuse-derived fuel, significantly reducing the volume of waste ultimately sent to landfills.

Brugada said the effort seeks to transform household habits and reinforce the idea that materials commonly considered trash retain economic and environmental value.

Mexico City operates 12 transfer stations, which collectively receive about 8,500 t of waste per day. Of that total, roughly 7,000 t are ultimately sent to landfills. According to city data, about 56% of landfill-bound waste is organic, while approximately 21% consists of recyclable inorganic materials and another 21% is classified as nonrecoverable.

The initiative is a cornerstone of the city’s long-term waste management strategy, which aims to ensure that by 2030 at least 50% of all waste generated in Mexico City is recycled or transformed before reaching final disposal.

To support the transition, sanitation workers have been trained to collect separated waste. The city has also deployed environmental educators from SEDEMA and facilitators from the PILARES community centers to provide guidance and outreach in neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces.

Only about 15% of waste is currently separated at the source, Castillo said. With the new campaign, authorities expect recovery rates to rise to as much as 75%. He added that public education and citizen participation will be critical to achieving those targets.

As part of the initiative, the city also expanded its collection capacity. On Jan. 6, 2026, the city government and the 16 boroughs jointly delivered 50 new waste collection trucks, representing an investment of MX$250 million (US$13.9 million). Under the agreement, the city government provided one truck for every new truck purchased by a borough.