12 October 2011: The Latin American Development Bank (CAF) and a French municipal consortium agreed to cooperate in helping cities in CAF member countries manage their solid wastes.

The agreement with the Paris Metropolitan Agency for Solid Waste Treatment (known by its French acronym Syctom) aims to use the lessons learned in Syctom’s efforts to coordinate the design and implementation of a waste management plan involving mayors from different political parties in 85 municipalities comprising the Metropolitan Paris region. The agreement calls for Syctom to advise CAF in its efforts to finance improvements in municipal solid waste management in Latin American cities, particularly regarding the issues of waste prevention, recycling promotion, environmental protection techniques in waste management, and improving waste management services. [CAF Press Release (in Spanish)]