Unification of electricity and garbage collection

The Bill for the Modification of the General Law of Integral Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste (Law 225-20) establishes a system for unifying garbage collection with the electric bill of electricity distribution companies.

Article 143 states that “the city councils and municipal district boards will make the mandatory charge for the urban solid waste collection services through the billing and collection of the electric energy service, guaranteeing the independence of the amounts billed for the rendering of each service, according to the real and total costs of the same.”

It points out that the energy distribution companies must deliver the full amount of these collection and final disposal services to the Sustainable DO Trust, “who, in turn, will be in charge of the repayment to the municipalities and municipal district boards.”

It explains that this will not include those private collection and special waste management agreements, which will be handled under private contracts.

Last Tuesday, the Senate approved the bill in two readings, and it remains to be heard by the Chamber of Deputies.

The Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD), through its executive vice president, Mario Pujols, criticized the bill’s surprise approval without first consulting with the sector’s key actors.

Since 2021, the Dominican Municipal League has advocated for unifying garbage collection with electricity distributors’ bills.