The Honduran Congress is to debate a law to regulate and recycle waste, especially in urban zones, parliament president Roberto Micheletti told Tierramérica. The law, expected to be approved by the end of this year, seeks to optimize the use of solid waste, eliminate open-air dumps, and achieve community participation in waste management plans.

The bill calls for fines and sanctions against those who contaminate the environment with garbage, and requires soft drink and water bottlers to set up recycling systems to collect their containers, many of which are now being tossed in the streets.

An estimated 2,000 tons of garbage are collected daily in Tegucigalpa alone. The waste deposited in “open-air dumps generate more pollution,” said Micheletti.