Apoyo a la Gestión del Aprovechamiento de Residuos Solidos Mediante Mecanismos de Control y Seguimiento en el Municipio de Tunja

Abstract

Proper solid waste management is a priority challenge for municipalities, as the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of their territories depends on it. In Tunja, despite having an updated Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (PGIRS), shortcomings persist in the control and monitoring mechanisms. This has led to community conflicts over the Pirgua landfill, low efficiency in material recovery, and limitations in coordination with recycling associations. These problems affect decision-making and reduce the effectiveness of the public sanitation service, highlighting the need to strengthen monitoring and management strategies. The project entitled “Support for the Management of Solid Waste Recovery through Control and Monitoring Mechanisms in the Municipality of Tunja” aimed to provide solutions to this situation through the design and implementation of technical tools that characterize recycling associations and private companies, establish a continuous evaluation framework, and generate objective information for the municipal administration and the Superintendency of Public Utilities. A theoretical-practical methodology was adopted for the project, combining document review, surveys, semi-structured interviews, field visits, and data systematization in analysis matrices. The results obtained allowed for the consolidation of a control and monitoring instrument adapted to the local context, strengthened the transparency and sustainability of the waste recovery service, improved working conditions for recyclers, and the promotion of a circular economy in Tunja. Furthermore, the project contributed to recognizing recycling stakeholders, strengthening the social component of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (PGIRS), and identifying operational gaps that limit waste utilization. In this way, the work provided relevant technical inputs to improve operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the planning of waste utilization services in the municipality of Tunja.