Private Haulers Begin to Proliferate in Mexico City

Every morning, restaurant owner Jaime Saenz has the same routine. He and his employees throw away piles of trash in front of his restaurant in Mexico City. Although the garbage truck comes twice a day, it is not enough to stop the residents from illegally dumping trash in front of his business.

In Mexico City trash is a huge problem. The closure of an enormous landfill Bordo Poniente in 2011 has resulted in garbage being sent to smaller landfills across the city, leaving lots of trash not collected.

In 2015, the Mexico City government began imposing fines and even jail time for those caught throwing trash on the streets but these laws don’t seem to be working. With the city officials failing to keep the city clean, private recycling companies have stepped in to help alleviate the problem.