Clustering of the Districts of the Province of Lima, Peru, by Similarity in the Levels of Usable Household Solid Waste (Organic and Inorganic)

Yactayo-Flores A.M.; Cruz A.H.; Reyes-Mandujano I.F. · Revista Kawsaypacha: Sociedad y Medio Ambiente (2025) · DOI: 10.18800/kawsaypacha.202502.d010

Resumen

The Province of Lima, with over 10 million inhabitants, is the most populous in Peru and exhibits a significant disparity in solid waste production, a high percentage of which is recoverable (35% inorganic, 50% organic). Despite the advantages of waste valorization, its implementation faces considerable challenges. Given this diversity, this study aimed to group the districts according to similarities in their generation levels to provide a management tool. The methodology utilized official data (MINAM/INEI) from the 2014-2024 period. Through Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA), validated with non-parametric tests, the districts were grouped, and the association with per capita income was evaluated using Spearman's correlation. The analysis defined three clusters for inorganic waste and two effective clusters for organic waste. A positive and significant correlation was found between waste generation and income, albeit moderate for inorganic (rho=0.49) and weak for organic waste (rho=0.31). A key finding is that districts with high organic waste generation are generally not the same as those with high inorganic waste generation. Socioeconomic and geographical patterns differ markedly between the two. The highest generation of inorganic waste is linked with high and upper-middle socioeconomic strata, concentrated in the central area of Lima. In contrast, the highest production of organic waste is linked to the middle stratum, with a dispersed geographical distribution and no significant socioeconomic differences among its groups. This disparity suggests that practices such as composting could influence the lower organic waste generation in higher strata. Finally, this segmentation provides a valuable empirical basis for designing and implementing focused and efficient waste management strategies.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos