IDB Backs Argentina’s Push to Modernize Solid Waste Management

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a conditional line of credit for up to $300 million to improve integrated municipal solid waste management in Argentina.

As part of the credit line, the IDB authorized an initial $70 million operation, to which the European Investment Bank will add $50 million and Argentina $17.5 million.

This line of credit and its first operation will fund projects and equipment to more properly dispose of municipal solid waste and improve waste valorization and recovery using socially inclusive strategies.

The financing will help boost the quality of final disposal; increase municipal solid waste recovery and recycling rates; and better close, sanitize and reclaim landfills by designing and building environmental sanitation systems. These systems include methane capture systems; plans for sorting, transferring, recovering, and treating municipal solid waste; and basic infrastructure and equipment for recyclers.

The first operation will directly benefit 910,000 people, or 227,500 four-person households. It aims to improve environmental and social management of waste by giving waste recovery workers formal employment, by recovering a greater portion of municipal solid waste, and by promoting environmental sustainability with a focus on climate change. The operation’s approach will favor participation by women and people with disabilities.

This operation aligns with Vision 2025 – Reinvest in the Americas: A Decade of Opportunities, in which the IDB maps out the path to recovery and inclusive growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. Of the various pillars of the Vision 2025, this specific program focuses on digital economy, climate change, and gender and inclusion.

The IDB’s $70 million loan for the first operation has a 25-year repayment term, a five-and-a-half-year grace period, and an interest rate based on the SOFR.