Honduras produces some 3,800 tons of garbage per day, which contributes to the reproduction of flies, mosquitoes and rats, which in turn transmit preventable diseases. Most waste is sent to inadequate sites, as only 11 of the 298 municipalities in the country have appropriate sanitary landfills, according to a 2007 report from the World Health Organization, Health Secretary Carlos Aguilar told Tierramérica.

The study indicated that Tegucigalpa and the northwestern city of San Pedro Sula concentrate the most waste: plastics, paper, organic waste, pesticides, paints, motor oil, tires and other items.

The WHO and the Environment Secretariat are coordinating pilot projects to set up garbage collection and recycling centers, as well as advising local governments on appropriate waste management, said Aguilar.