Geospatial analysis of informal recycling activities at the bottom of the pyramid in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico

Abstract

In Mexico, the costs of government waste management are excessive in a sustainable management framework. The literature reports that the economic activities of waste acquisition in large cities revitalize the local economy of marginalized areas. The objective of the work was to analyze the geospatial distribution of Private Collection Centers [PCC] based on socioeconomic variables that characterize the bottom of the pyramid in the municipality of Nezahualcóyotl. This is an exploratory work that used systematic observation as the main research strategy: a documentary analysis of sociodemographic variables was carried out in official databases; with systematic observation instruments and virtual tours, the identification and characterization of PCC was carried out; geographic information systems were used to analyze and represent the interaction of the PCC with their social and economic environment. The results made it possible to characterize 293 PCC that are established in areas of low socioeconomic status and with little industrial intensity. The CAP are sources of employment for the bottom of the pyramid, temporarily energizing the local economy. PCC make intensive use of public space, appropriating it to lower operating costs, which makes them unsustainable.