Solid waste management in Peru (Legislative Decree 1278)

Legislative Decree 1278, which enacts the Integrated Solid Waste Management Law, is the statute that organises waste management in Peru. It was published on 23 December 2016, its regulations are Supreme Decree 014-2017-MINAM of 21 December 2017, materially amended by Supreme Decree 001-2022-MINAM, and Law 32212, published on 21 December 2024, amended it to strengthen waste management. The framework distinguishes two spheres: municipal management, handled by the public cleaning service, and non-municipal management, which is the one that affects companies.

Who is a non-municipal generator

Any holder of productive, extractive or service activities whose waste falls outside municipal management. An industrial plant, a mine, an agro-export company, a hotel or a clinic all generate non-municipal waste and are responsible for its safe, sanitary and environmentally sound handling. Waste similar to municipal waste may be handed to the municipal service up to 150 litres per day; above that volume the general regime applies. Mixing with hazardous waste is prohibited.

Hiring a third party does not transfer responsibility: the generator must still check that the contracted Solid Waste Operating Company (EO-RS) holds a valid authorisation of the right scope, and must hold documentation showing that the treatment or final disposal facilities are duly authorised.

Generator obligations

Article 55 of Legislative Decree 1278 and article 48 of the regulations, as worded by Supreme Decree 001-2022-MINAM, require the following:

• Segregate and handle waste selectively, characterising it and separating hazardous from non-hazardous waste, recoverable waste and mutually incompatible waste.
• Provide suitable areas, facilities and containers for collection and storage from the point of generation.
• Prioritise recovery as the first management option, ahead of final disposal, in line with the waste hierarchy.
• Ensure treatment and final disposal of the waste generated.
• Keep an internal register of waste generation, minimisation and handling on site. This register is the documentary basis for the annual declaration.
• Contract an EO-RS to handle waste outside the industrial or productive facilities, concession area or the holder's lot.
• Adopt restoration, rehabilitation, repair or environmental compensation measures if poor handling causes damage.

The Minimisation and Management Plan for Non-Municipal Solid Waste

Also called the Solid Waste Management Plan, it is not a standalone document: for projects subject to the National Environmental Impact Assessment System it forms part of the environmental management instrument (IGA), under article 49 of the regulations. It describes the minimisation, segregation, storage, collection, transport, recovery and final disposal operations for the waste the activity generates, and sets out prevention, minimisation and recovery strategies. Changes to its measures are governed by the environmental impact assessment rules, which is the most important practical consequence: amending the plan may require updating the environmental study.

What is filed, and when

SIGERSOL is the official system for reporting information on waste planning, management and handling, and for supervision and enforcement. Non-municipal generators required to hold an IGA must file two documents digitally through it:

For generators not required to hold an IGA, article 48.3 of the regulations instructs the sectoral authorities to define and approve the scope, conditions and guidelines for filing. It is worth checking what the relevant sector has decided before assuming there is no obligation.

One point that often triggers internal debate: filing is the sole obligation of the holder of the project or activity. The documents may be prepared using the holder's own information and data supplied by service providers, but in every case the non-municipal generator is the only party responsible for the report.

Who enforces it

OEFA supervises and enforces compliance by non-municipal generators and compiles the National Inventory of Areas Degraded by Solid Waste. Penalties rest on article 136 of the General Environmental Law. Failing to file the annual declaration, not signing the manifests or handing waste to an operator without a valid authorisation are all breaches with sanctioning consequences.

Frequently asked questions

When is the annual waste declaration filed in Peru?

During the first fifteen working days of April each year, covering waste handling in the previous year, through SIGERSOL.

What if my company has no environmental management instrument?

The general handling obligations in article 48.1 still apply. Filing the annual declaration and manifests through SIGERSOL is governed by whatever the competent sectoral authorities decide.

Did Law 32212 repeal Legislative Decree 1278?

No. Law 32212, published on 21 December 2024, amends numerous articles of Legislative Decree 1278 and of Law 26793, among other things to add the National Circular Economy Roadmap and sectoral roadmaps as instruments, but the decree remains the framework statute.

Can household-like waste go to the municipal truck?

Yes, up to 150 litres per day of non-municipal waste similar to municipal waste. Above that volume the general regime applies, and it can never be mixed with hazardous waste.

If you want to close the year with tonnes by waste type, manifests and final disposal certificates traceable in one place, start with the waste management solution.