La recogida de basura en mega-ciudades: En el marco de la sostenibilidad

Abstract

Understanding complex urban societies is only possible when their formal and informal aspects are studied. One of the strongest tools for this task is the study of waste, as it enables a distinction between these two aspects, even when the demands of society exceed the legislative framework. By defining waste as a resource, it normalizes vastly dissimilar realities. Then, waste management in cities such as Tokyo, Mexico City, Madrid and Paris can be thoroughly studied, coming into light their operational differences as well as their vulnerabilities. This article shows the relation between the interaction of cities and normative gaps. Through this comparison, the innate capacity of societies to adapt to these imperfections is highlighted, being useful to understand the informal sector and its contribution to the efficiency of the urban system, especially in developing countries.