Mexico City to Mandate Waste Separation for Residents in 2026

Mexico City has launched the “Transform Your City: Every Waste in Its Place” campaign, a citywide initiative that will require residents to separate household waste into organic, recyclable, and nonrecyclable categories starting Jan. 1, 2026. 

Rolled out by Mayor Clara Brugada, the initiative aims to reduce the volume of materials sent to landfills and increase the recovery of reusable resources. Under the new rules, households must deliver separated waste directly to collection trucks, although no penalties will be levied during the initial preparation phase in 2026. 

During a campaign event in the Azcapotzalco borough, Brugada visited homes to distribute three color-coded containers: green for organic waste, gray for recyclables, and orange for nonrecyclable materials. Each waste type will have a designated destination: organic waste will be sent for composting and hydrothermal carbonization processes; recyclable inorganic waste will go to recycling plants; and non-recyclable materials will be converted into refuse-derived fuel, significantly reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills. 

Brugada says the effort seeks to change household habits and reinforce the idea that materials commonly considered trash retain economic and environmental value. “What was useful once can continue to be useful. It can be recycled, transformed, and given a second life,” she says. She adds that the city will stop using the term “garbage” and instead refer to “waste,” to emphasize its potential value. 

Mexico City operates 12 transfer stations that collectively receive about 8,500 metric t of waste per day. Of that total, roughly 7,000 t end up in landfills. According to city data, about 56% of landfill-bound waste is organic, while roughly 21% consists of recyclable inorganic materials and another 21% is considered nonrecoverable.

Brugada frames the initiative as a cornerstone of the city’s long-term waste 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. She notes that each resident generates an average of 1.07kg of waste per day, making Mexico City the country’s second-largest waste generator by volume. “That is why the change has to start at home,” she says.

To support the transition, sanitation workers have been trained to collect separated waste. The city will also deploy environmental educators from the Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) and facilitators from the Pilares community centers to provide guidance in neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces.

Only about 15% of waste is now separated at the source, says Roberto Castillo, Director, Integrated Waste Management Agency (AGIR). With the new campaign, authorities expect recovery rates to rise to as much as 75%. He adds that public education will be critical to achieving those targets.

As part of the initiative, the city is also set to expand its collection capacity. Brugada says that on Jan. 6, the city government and the 16 boroughs will jointly deliver 50 new waste collection trucks, representing an investment of MX$250 million (US$13.9 million). Per the agreement, the city will be delivering one truck for every new truck purchased by a borough. 

Azcapotzalco Mayor Nancy Núñez says the borough is prepared to implement the strategy, citing the implementation of video-monitored dumping sites, ongoing collection of construction debris, tires and bulky waste, and the installation of the city’s first permanent Reciclatrón recycling center in Alameda Norte. 

AGIR: Leading Mexico City’s Waste Management Overhaul

Transform Your City is the latest in a series of initiatives being spearheaded by AGIR. The agency, a decentralized public entity, was installed earlier this year by Brugada with the mission of promoting sustainable policies for the comprehensive management of urban solid waste. 

As part of AGIR’s overhaul of Mexico City’s waste management strategy, the capital will be increasing overall processing capacity by 50% to produce 400,000t of compost. To achieve this, MX$150 million (US$8.1 million) will be invested in upgrading the Bordo Poniente recycling plant, which is inspired by international models like Madrid’s Valdemingómez complex. Raúl Basulto, Mexico City’s Minister of Works and Services, explains that new composting plants are also planned for the eastern zone of the city, particularly in Xochimilco, Milpa Alta, and Tlahuac.

Basulto says that AGIR is working on expanding rubble-crushing facilities to make better use of construction waste. In October, 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 useful products.

Another priority project will focus on reusing asphalt mixture residues, known as 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 says.