Garbage Crisis in San Miguelito - Residents and Mayor Hope New Tender will Fix the Problem

San Miguelito: After several years of conflict over poor garbage collection services and the multi-million-dollar debt accumulated with the company in charge, on July 31, the Municipality of San Miguelito published the tender documents for a new urban solid waste collection concession on the Panama Compra website. The contract has a reference price of $315,217,728. District residents expect the new company to offer more efficient service, with more frequent collections, more trucks, and enough staff to meet the demands of a region that generates more than 400 tons of garbage daily.

Residents in the area assure that the streets are still accessible, and in areas where trucks cannot enter, residents carry bags to the strategically located trash cans. However, the delay in collection causes the containers to overflow, leading to the proliferation of mosquitoes, worms, and unpleasant odors. The specifications detail, for example, technical requirements that aim to incorporate innovation and traceability into waste management. Among them:

Minimum 10 years of experience in digital platforms applied to waste management.
Active operation in 2024 with: at least 100 devices installed in collection vehicles, 100 portable readers (wristbands or handheld), 5 thousand RFID records (or equivalent) and coverage of 500 geo-referenced containers.
Proven experience in the collection, transportation, sweeping, final disposal, and treatment of urban waste, with projects that have benefited at least 350,000 residents in the last 10 years.