Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts Generated by the Management of Urban Solid Waste in the Open Waste Dump in Loreto, Eastern Ecuador

Solid waste management is a subject that still represents enormous challenges worldwide and therefore also in Ecuador. In the current study, we evaluated the environmental impacts generated by the management of solid urban waste (SUW) and the disposal in the an open waste dump of in Loreto, eastern Ecuador, regulated by the local government in order to calculate the level of criticality and subsequently develop management strategies. The methodology applied for the evaluation of environmental Impacts is the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT), which allowed to better understand and to proceed in decisions making processes such as the implementation of measures that minimize environmental hazards as well as the identification of possible alterations of the environment by the actions of the SUW management. Furthermore, administrators and workers were surveyed, different factors were identified and evaluated and each of the parameters were assigned with impact values. Subsequently, we calculated the level of criticality, which may allow the local government to develop corresponding strategies. Among the most significant results has been the breach of current environmental regulations such as burning used tires at open air, and the discharge of leachate to a freshwater body without prior treatment. The application of the SWOT method indicated a lack of performance in the integral management of the SUW. Furthermore, there is the need for a plan for the municipal management of non-hazardous solid and sanitary waste and the absence of a department dedicated to the integral management SUW.