An initiative that structures projects and promotes enabling conditions for methane mitigation, resilience and the adoption of a circular economy within the waste management sector.
Too Good to Waste is an initiative that aims to improve waste management in Latin America and the Caribbean, advance towards a competitive circular economy, build a resilient sector to extreme weather events, and reduce methane emissions.
The linear economy model, which focuses on extraction, consumption, and disposal, creates more waste and loses valuable materials and resources. Currently, the global demand for resources exceeds the planet's capacity to regenerate by 1.5 times, impacting various sectors. Latin America and the Caribbean face similar challenges.
According to the Solid Waste and Circular Economy Hub, of the 230 million tons of municipal solid waste produced in the region, only 4% of waste is recovered, and 96% is disposed of. Each year, the region is estimated to produce 23.000 million cubic meters of domestic wastewater. Of this total, only about 40% of the wastewater undergoes treatment, and less than 5% is reused (for more data on this sector, visit OLAS). All of which result in environmental impacts such as methane emissions and pollution.
To implement circular economy practices and reduce methane emissions, LAC needs to change production, consumption, and waste generation patterns, promote circular policies and business models, and invest in infrastructure and technologies to enhance valorization capacity. Too Good to Waste aims to change this reality by working on 4 key areas:
Too Good to Waste is an initiative of the IDB, funded by the Global Methane Hub, the multi-donor IDB's fund AquaFund and the IDB's ordinary capital. The initiative is executed in collaboration with IDB Invest and IDB Lab.
In 2024, the Bank launched a call for proposals to support the pre-investment studies required in solid waste management projects for a circular economy and lower emissions, and 230 proposals from 20 countries were submitted. Of these, 194 focused on valorization, 18 on prevention, and 18 on landfill closure or biogas. The total demand exceeded US$35 million, reflecting the need for project preparation resources and capacity building. Learn more about the call for proposals and the supported projects:
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water, sanitation and solid waste services for all.
Discover the topics in which we work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean.