Mexico Confronts Rising Waste Challenges

UNAM convened representatives from government, academia, and industry to propose integrated solutions to address the challenges of environmental pollution during the event Sustainable Engineering: Opportunities and Challenges. UNAM Linkage, Government and Industry for Environmental Remediation and the Treatment of Solid and Liquid Waste. 

According to Jorge Vázquez, Head of the Coordination of Linkage and Technology Transfer (CVTT), UNAM, Mexico generates about 120,000t of municipal solid waste every day, a figure that continues to rise with population growth and economic development. Moreover, the country’s per capita waste generation is 27% higher than the global average. “The accumulation and dispersion of pollutants, mainly from human activities and natural events that disrupt ecosystems, pose an enormous, multidimensional challenge for this country,” he said.

At the event’s inauguration, held at the School of Engineering, Vázquez noted that less than 35% of final disposal sites in Mexico meet basic environmental requirements. He added that treatment and recycling plants are concentrated in a few large states and municipalities, leaving extensive areas without critical infrastructure for waste and water treatment.

He pointed to the significant contribution of industries to greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the textile sector. He said global clothing and footwear production accounts for 8% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipments combined.

E-commerce also has environmental impacts. In 2021, Mexico City generated 86,000t of plastic waste from this sector, the equivalent of nearly 236t/d, or 29 truckloads. Vázquez said this waste pollutes rivers and seas and damages aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

The energy sector is another major contributor, he said, noting that PEMEX ranks eighth among the world’s most polluting oil companies. Water pollution is also a concern, with only 52% of municipal wastewater and 32% of non-municipal wastewater treated. He cited fertilizers and pesticides as examples of pollutants that leach into bodies of water, contributing to harmful algal blooms.

José Antonio Hernández, Director of the School of Engineering, UNAM, said the university has been developing research, technology and innovation aimed at replacing polluting processes and products. “Making these university efforts visible is another of the objectives we seek to achieve,” he said.

Pedro Álvarez, National Commissioner of Protected Areas, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), said Mexico should focus on reducing waste generation and explore mechanisms for using waste to produce energy, including electricity in remote communities. 

Rogelio Jiménez, Director of Environmental Sanitation and Remediation, SEMARNAT, highlighted that as of June 2025, 1,142 contaminated sites had been identified, most due to hydrocarbons, metals and metalloids. He said remediation is essential to reduce health risks and restore ecosystems, adding that Mexico must adopt nature-based solutions, education campaigns, scientific research, modern technologies and citizen participation to strengthen waste management.

Participants included representatives from environmental NGO ECOCE and companies such as Corporación Ambiental de México, Nestlé México, Renueva, La Costeña and Spearhead Global México.