Assessment of some governance aspects in waste management systems: A case study in Mexican municipalities

Many municipalities, particularly in developing countries, have a lack of information to guide decision-making to improve municipal solid waste management (MSWM). They need tools that systematize the collection and analysis of data, and then assess all aspects of the system, including both technical and non-technical ones. This work presents a field study covering 66 Mexican municipalities. A new set of indicators was selected based on the analysis of the information available, which can serve as a tool for evaluating some aspects of the governance of the MSWM system in similar contexts with an incipient implementation of the system. The set encompasses thirteen basic indicators divided into three categories: legislation and policies, employee development, and economy. For each indicator, reference values were established that allow the performance to be classified by means of a traffic light system. As a complement, a protocol for evaluating the quality of information was applied to reveal the uncertainty of the results obtained. The lowest ratios of response were obtained for the economic aspects and the disposal stage, due to the lack of separation and control of the MSWM budget, and to the large proportion of open dumps in the studied zone. A strong correlation was detected between the development and implementation of legislation and policies on waste management and correct operation, as well as a widespread presence of the informal sector in the service. Moreover, the absence of official fees for the service makes it difficult to recover expenses directly. •Basic indicators to monitor governance in MSWM identified based on 66 study cases.•Thirteen indicators encompass legislation, economy and employee development.•Reference values as a baseline for incipient MSWM in similar contexts.•Strong effect of legislation and policies on the performance of the waste system.•Key role of informal sector and absence of specific budget for waste management.