Solid Waste
Institutional Arrangement
Through the Directorate of Environmental Promotion and Tourism, it is the Federal Government Secerariat in charge of incorporating in the different areas of society and the public function, criteria and instruments that ensure the optimal protection, conservation and use of the country’s natural resources , thus forming a comprehensive and inclusive environmental policy that allows achieving sustainable development. SEMARNAT is responsible for establishing the official standards that regulate this activity. In this sense, the INECC at the federal level also plays an important role in the matter of urban solid waste.
Agency dependent on SEMARNAT in charge of generating and integrating technical and scientific knowledge and increasing qualified human capital for the formulation, conduction and evaluation of public policies that lead to environmental protection, ecological preservation and restoration, low-carbon development, as well as mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the country.
State Agencies
- The corresponding State Secretaries of the Environment or its equivalent are responsible for carrying out compliance with the environmental regulations promoted by SEMARNAT in order to have an environment conducive to environmental development in their communities in coordination with municipal bodies for the collection and separation of solid waste. In some cases, the agency in charge of supervising the correct management of Solid Waste may be in the structure of the Ministry of Public Works or of Economic Development, among others.
- Decentralized Public Organizations (OPD)
- Some states do not have Secretaries of the Environment or equivalent, so it is possible that they have Decentralized Public Bodies.
- State Attorney Offices
They are in charge of reviewing and regulating the final disposal of waste and that the confinement sites operate under the norm established by SEMARNAT (NOM-083), the General Law for the Prevention and Integral Management of Waste (LGPGIR) and environmental impact issues.
Local Agencies
The Municipalities are in charge of carrying out compliance with the environmental regulations promoted by SEMARNAT in order to have an adequate standard to environmental development in their communities, as well as the solid waste separation programs through the attributions that the constitution in article 115 on urban solid waste and the LGPGIR.
- FONADIN is a vehicle of the Mexican Government, used to develop infrastructure in the communications, transport, water, environment and tourism sectors.
- FONADIN-PRORESOL: Within the sectorial programs of FONADIN is the Municipal Solid Waste Program (PRORESOL), which supports local and federal governments, as well as the agencies of the different levels of government in the structuring and financing of solid waste management projects , which employ an APP scheme most commonly.
Institution of the Mexican development bank, which makes possible the development of infrastructure projects with high social profitability, financing long-term projects and promoting the participation of the private sector and commercial banks.
Investment Cycle

Planning
The planning for the management and implementation of urban, special and hazardous solid waste management policies falls on the municipalities, states and the Federal Government respectively, following the norms and guidelines established by SEMARNAT as well as the National Program for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Waste (PNPGIR), and the National Program for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Special Management Waste (PNPGIRME) based on the Basic Diagnosis for Comprehensive Waste Management (DBGIR).
* the PNPGIRME is currently in preparation
Identification
The municipalities, through a municipal program for the prevention and comprehensive management of waste, are in charge of identifying the infrastructure needs in the management of solid waste, as well as the state and federal governments are in charge of special and hazardous waste management respectively.
Structuring
The agencies in charge of environmental matters in each municipality, as well as state and federal agencies, are in charge of carrying out the studies and analyses necessary for the development of the projects. Likewise, FONADIN through PRORESOL supports the structuring. The different multilateral organizations also support the structuring of projects.
Registration
The agencies and/or secretariats in charge of solid waste in municipalities and states are responsible for keeping a record of their solid waste management projects on their state platforms. In the case of hazardous waste projects, it is up to the promoting agency to register them in the portfolio of the Investment Unit in case of requiring federal and/or FONADIN public resources. When a local or state level project is structured with the help from FONADIN, it should also be registered in the Investment Unit and follow federal laws.
Priorization
The states and municipalities are in charge of carrying out the prioritization of projects according to their needs, which are reflected in their State Development Plans, the PEPGIR and in turn in the PMPGIR, in terms of urban solid waste. In the case of federal projects, these must be analyzed by the Intersecretarial Commission for Public Expenditure, Financing and Disincorporation (CIGFD), who determines their relationship for their inclusion in the Federal Budget Expenditures (PEF).
Autorization
Projects with PEF resources are authorized by Congress. FONADIN PRORESOL projects are authorized by the Evaluation and Financing Subcommittee of FONADIN and FONADIN’s Technical Committee. Municipal and state projects are authorized by their councils and local congresses.
Promotion
The municipalities and states are in charge of carrying out the promotion of their projects. In certain projects, SEMARNAT as well as the Welfare Secretariat support the promotion.
Bidding
It is the responsibility of the states and municipalities to host their bidding process through their platforms and processes, always following the established guidelines. When studies and/or projects are supported by FONADIN, bids must be made under federal laws, as well as hosting the bidding process on CompraNet.
Financing
There are various sources of financing, depending on the characteristics of the projects, with state and municipal budgets and allocations being the most popular. Likewise, they can be financed through development banks, multilateral organizations, and FONADIN, which is the only source of public financing for solid waste. For its part, the Federation Expenditure Budget (PEF) supports Solid Waste matters through subsidies.
Execution/Operation
It is carried out by municipal, state and private operators, depending on the type of project and the terms of the contract, following the corresponding environmental guidelines.