Ecological footprint of recyclable municipal solid waste in Tacna (Peru)

Abstract

Municipal solid waste management constitutes a critical challenge for the sustainability of intermediate cities in Latin America. In this study, we evaluated the ecological footprint (EF) associated with recyclable municipal solid waste in the Tacna district of southern Peru, from 2020 to 2024. Using data from the Solid Waste Management Information System (SIGERSOL), a quantitative and longitudinal approach was applied based on the ecological footprint model proposed by Wackernagel and Rees (1998) and adapted by Doménech (2010), in order to estimate the environmental pressure derived from the fossil energy embodied in municipal solid waste. The results revealed a marked heterogeneity in the ecological contribution of the different waste fractions. Fine paper recorded the highest average EF, followed by cardboard and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), whereas metals such as steel and iron exhibited the lowest relative contributions. Temporal analysis indicated an increasing trend in the pressure exerted by cardboard and HDPE in 2024. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 96.1% of the total variability, with cellulosic and plastic materials identified as the main determinants of the environmental burden of the municipal system. Hierarchical clustering analysis confirmed the structural segregation between waste types with high and low ecological intensity. The conclusion of our study was that EF constitutes an effective diagnostic tool for urban planning, suggesting that public policies should prioritize the traceability and valorization of paper and plastic waste, in order to mitigate the pressure on local ecosystems.