Mexico City's Landfill Crisis: Bordo Poniente & the Search for Solutions

Mexico City, a metro area of 22+ million, sends virtually all its waste to a single site: Bordo Poniente in the Azcapotzalco borough.

Key Facts

• Size: ~370 hectares (914 acres)
• Daily intake: ~12,000 metric tons (one of the world's highest)
• Status: Largest landfill in Latin America; 2nd largest globally
• Opened: 1985
• Projected closure: Originally 2025; extended due to lack of alternatives

Environmental Impacts

• Methane emissions (major GHG source)
• Leachate contamination of groundwater
• Air pollution (particulates, odors)
• Informal waste-picker communities (pepenadores) facing health hazards

What's Next?

The city has pursued—with mixed success:

• Waste-to-energy plant (contracted, delayed)
• Recycling expansion (currently <15% diversion)
• New regional landfills in neighboring states (Estado de México, Hidalgo)—politically fraught
• Zero-waste pilots in some boroughs

Bordo Poniente symbolizes a megacity's waste challenge: no easy fixes, but urgent need for circular economy transition.