Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) face a paradox that presents real opportunities. As the region moves toward renewable energy sources, millions of tons of solid waste from our cities are being sent to landfills every day, posing a significant threat to the environment, public health, and the climate.
What was considered for decades a basic municipal management problem is now being recognized as a strategic opportunity to improve energy security, reduce emissions, and accelerate the transition toward a circular economy. More than 541,000 tons of waste are generated every day, a figure that continues to rise alongside urbanization and changing consumption patterns.
A significant share of this waste ends up in landfills, where methane is produced — a greenhouse gas with a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide. Yet this gas, if properly captured and used, can become a crucial local source of energy. In this context, recovering energy from waste, known as Waste-to-Energy, is emerging as a cornerstone of the regional energy transition effort. It does not aim to replace solar, wind, or hydropower, but rather to complement them as a solution that addresses both environmental and energy challenges in a practical way by generating reliable power, reducing emissions, and strengthening electricity systems. In LAC, where waste streams contain a high organic fraction (often over 50%), anaerobic digestion is a highly viable technology.
This technology enables the processing of food waste, sludge, manure, and agro-industrial effluents to produce biogas and biomethane through applications that are less complex and less costly than other thermal treatment options. Adaptable to different scales and environments, it is an essential tool for medium-sized cities and resource-constrained areas, serving as an early enabler for climate mitigation by reducing high methane emissions to the atmosphere. Likewise, direct waste combustion is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly in urban areas under pressure from limited disposal space, due to its ability to significantly reduce waste volumes while providing heat or electricity linked to landfill operations.
In the Caribbean, this opportunity is especially urgent. Many island states face small electricity markets, high dependence on imported fossil fuels, and severe land constraints that make waste disposal a critical territorial challenge.
The concept is not theoretical, nor is its feasibility in our region. Several operational projects are already demonstrating environmental and energy benefits by transforming landfills into sources of power. These experiences show a clear pathway through which waste can shift from being an environmental liability to becoming a strategic energy asset.
In this sense, energy recovery is not merely a technological solution, but a fundamental factor in achieving energy security and climate resilience by relieving pressure on landfills, reducing energy imports, and promoting greater autonomy in national energy systems.
