Household waste management is entering a new phase. After years dominated by collection and landfill, the government and local authorities are initiating a structural transformation of the national model, with a clear goal: to shift from a disposal logic to a value-added approach.
While the state ensures strategic guidance and technical support, operational responsibility lies with municipalities, in accordance with the organic law governing local authorities. These municipalities are responsible for creating, managing, and overseeing facilities dedicated to waste collection and treatment, as well as managing landfills.
The national waste management program, implemented from 2008 to 2022, has led to notable advances. The professional collection rate in urban centers has reached 96%, while 29 controlled landfills and waste treatment centers have been established. These investments have contributed to reducing illegal dumping and structuring the sector.
However, the evaluation of the system has highlighted its limitations. The model, primarily based on landfilling without prior sorting, currently reveals its environmental flaws: the production of leachate threatening groundwater, the waste of recyclable materials, and low waste recovery rates.
In light of these findings, a new approach is imperative. Source separation becomes the cornerstone of the national strategy. The focus now shifts to rethinking the entire value chain: differentiated collection, recycling, energy recovery, and ecological disposal of ultimate residues.
This transition to a more sustainable model takes into account regional realities. Rural municipalities or those producing less than 50,000 tons of waste per year will need solutions tailored to their financial and human capacities, ensuring a gradual yet effective implementation.
Partnership between the state and local authorities is strengthened in this context. A steering committee oversees the rehabilitation and closure of illegal landfills, while source separation programs are being gradually rolled out. Some municipalities, such as Erfoud, have already initiated feasibility studies to introduce this system.
The financial ambition matches the stakes involved. An agreement signed at the national conference on advanced regionalization foresees a total investment of 27.6 billion dirhams by 2034. This funding will facilitate the establishment of 51 waste treatment and recovery centers and the rehabilitation of approximately 270 illegal landfills.
Beyond infrastructure, the reform is framed within a circular economy perspective. It includes the adoption of a legislative framework integrating source separation, recycling, waste recovery, and extended producer responsibility. The aim is to convert waste into resources and sustainably reduce its environmental impact.
Household waste management is no longer merely an issue of urban cleanliness. It is becoming a strategic lever for sustainable development, where environmental performance, economic efficiency, and territorial equity must now converge.