The boundary between the formal waste collection system, managed by the official sector, and the informal system, led by independent collectors, is blurred. However, the coexistence of these two systems ensures the collection of all waste in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City, forming a complex urban order marked by tacit rules, controversies, and diverse practices. This system constantly adapts to survive, but increasing regulations, field challenges, and competition among collectors threaten its balance and make it vulnerable to collapse.
The study defines this system as hybrid and, through mapping practices, identifies the various waste collectors to reveal the vulnerabilities of the system in the analyzed areas.
The methodology relies on extensive field research conducted between 2021 and 2024, combining tools from social sciences, such as direct observation and comprehensive interviews, with urban planning techniques like mapping, photo/video analysis, and on-site surveys.
The cross-analysis of qualitative data and theoretical concepts identified the street as a key network in waste management, where (in)formal collectors, (non-)valuable materials, and individual or collective actions shape the urban order. This mapping highlights the system’s vulnerabilities and suggests that the territorialization of (in)formal practices prompts a reconsideration of the sustainability of hybrid systems like that of Mexico City. The study also shows that collecting qualitative data is a powerful planning tool, supporting the development of anticipatory plans to prevent a potential collapse of the waste collection system.
