Because the garbage is not going to be thrown away by itself, is it?
It seems that CDMX finally got its act together (and not the polluting ones) with the issue of garbage. In a move that took us all by surprise, the Capital Government, with Clara Brugada at the helm, announced that it is going to invest a whopping 490 million pesos. The goal? Stop being the laughingstock of waste management and transform 50% of the garbage we generate by 2030. It sounds like someone finally read the goals of the Paris Agreement and got nervous.
Because let’s be honest, living in the city sometimes feels like living in an episode of Black Mirror, but with more traffic and a musty smell. The news is like that message in the family group that you do read in its entirety because it finally says something that is not an outdated meme.
What is this money going to be spent on?
It’s not that they are going to buy 490 million biodegradable plastic bags (which, by the way, are an urban myth like the man in the sack). The plan looks pretty specific. First, they are going to give love and affection (and 170 million pesos) to the Bordo Poniente compost plant to modernize and equip it. Basically, they are going to give you the equivalent of an extreme makeover, but instead of eyebrows and contouring, it is to transform our organic waste into something useful.
But they are not satisfied with a single plant with a new outfit. Oh no! They are going to build four new compost plants with an investment of 200 million pesos. Its strategic location: Xochimilco, Tláhuac, Milpa Alta and Tlalpan. In other words, they are betting that the greenest mayoralties will be the ones that will save us from drowning in our own filth. Irony is poetic, really.
And as if it were the twist of a soap opera, they also include a special plant for the tires. The ones you always see abandoned on the street like someone’s broken heart after being ghosted. With an investment of 35 million, this plant will be responsible for converting them into useful materials, such as waterproofing or recycled asphalt. In other words, the tire you almost hit on the highway could end up being the roof of your house. Isn’t the cycle of life beautiful?
The head of Government, Clara Brugada, summarized it with the forcefulness of someone who already has the budget approved: “We would be investing, only in the transformation, modernization and construction of new plants, for compost and the new tire waste plant, 405 million”. They’re not monopoly pesos, people.
And in case anyone thought that this was a whim, the president dropped the bombshell: this investment of 405 million represents 37% of what is currently paid per year for sending garbage to landfills. Basically, it’s like stopping paying rent on a horrible apartment to start building your own house. A financial and ecological movement that even your frugal aunt would approve.
But wait, there’s more! Because what’s the point of having super modern plants if you don’t have a way to get the raw materials to them. For this reason, around 85 million pesos will also be allocated for the acquisition of 34 new cleaning trucks. In other words, the trucks that pass by at 5 in the morning waking you up with the soundtrack of an apocalypse could be newer and, hopefully, a little quieter (dreaming costs nothing).
In summary, CDMX is trying to go from being the character who accumulates garbage in his apartment to being the one who has an aesthetic composting system on his balcony. It is a strong, necessary and, frankly, a bit memeable bet. But hey, if with this we stop contributing to the imminent collapse, the effort is welcome. Now we just need to do our part as citizens and stop throwing cigarette butts out the window. #JustSaying
Did you like this note? Share it on your social networks and help us spread the word about the initiatives that are transforming our city. Explore more content on sustainability and urbanism on our site.
