Analysis of household waste production in Ecuador: Limitations for sustainable management in local communities

•0.613 kg/cap/d based on sampling of the waste generated in 81 communities.•Average waste composition is 68 % biowaste, 23 % recyclable and 9 % other.•MSW collection frequency is once a week for 40 % of the rural population.•Household biowaste use reduces the amount of waste to be managed by up to 64 %.•Recyclable waste is barely recovered and is centralized in urban areas. Municipal solid waste management is one of the greatest challenges for environmental sustainability and well-being in developing countries, where the infrastructure and financial resources required to carry out such services are often lacking. The design of solutions that adequately respond to local needs must be based on quality information about the quantity and composition of the generated waste and current management practices. This study evaluated domestic waste generation and its management in 81 communities in Ecuador based on sampling at the source and population surveys. An average household waste generation value of 0.613 kg/cap/d was obtained, of which biowaste accounted for 68 % of the total generation, followed by 23 % recyclable material and 9 % other non recyclable waste. Even though some councils have set up differentiated collection systems for inorganic material in urban areas, these systems are still absent in many rural areas, which explains why waste is not separated in 70 % of the studied communities. Furthermore, only 70 % of the rural population in the country has a waste collection service, and waste in some communities is still thrown into water bodies or burned. Rural populations often use biowaste at home by composting it or as animal feed, which are good practices that should be considered in the diagnosis reports and incorporated into waste management planning.