The Dominican Republic The year 2026 begins with great challenges, among them the progressive compliance of the Law 98-25 on Comprehensive Management and Co-processing of Solid Waste, regulations that seek, among other objectives, to eradicate the problem of garbage in society.
One of the provisions of this law—promulgated on December 15 by the President Luis Abinader— establishes that the mayorships and municipal districts have a period of 36 months to implement the classification and separation of waste in the place where it is generated.
This implies that, instead of mixing it, homes, educational centers and businesses must separate garbage into organic, inorganic, dangerous and recyclable, and deliver it in a differentiated way to the collection trucksresponsible for its proper management. Classification from the source will facilitate the work of treatment plants.
He article 28 indicates: “A new maximum period of thirty-six months is granted from the entry into force of this law, for city councils and municipal district boards to promote the progressive implementation of separation programs at the source and the selective collection of waste throughout the area of its jurisdiction”.
If the measure is complied with, the country would join the nations that have this program, some on a mandatory basis and others voluntarily.
![[object HTMLTextAreaElement]](https://resources.diariolibre.com/images/2026/01/10/camiones-f546b508.jpg "Law 98-25: DR mayors have three years to classify garbage")
Likewise, the article 4 establishes that the mayorships and municipal boards must approve the necessary ordinances for the classification of garbage, which must be aligned with the National Plan of Solid Waste Management.
Culture of separation
As the clock ticks, local governments will need to develop educational campaigns aimed at promoting the culture of separate collection. These actions are part of the Municipal Plan of Comprehensive Waste Management (PMGIR), an instrument that each mayor’s office is obliged to prepare and submit to validation by the Ministry of the Environment.
To support this process, the law provides that, as of January 1, 2026, the mayorships and municipal district boards will receive an allocation of 20 pesos for each inhabitant, destined for the treatment of solid waste. For these purposes, the 2022 National Population and Housing Census will be taken as a reference.
However, the issuance of a regulation by the Executive power that defines the delivery mechanism of these funds. In the case of districts with a population of up to 5,000 inhabitants, they will receive a fixed monthly allocation of 100,000 pesos.
The Law 98-25 It also establishes that each mayor’s office must promote among the population the use of waste covers made with recycled raw materials, as part of the actions to strengthen the sustainable management of solid waste.
Data from the Ministry of the Environment indicates that the country generates about 14,000 tons of solid waste per day. In September 2025, the Government launched the Dominican Republic Plastics Action Roadmap, which aims to increase the volume of recycled plastics from 23,000 to 136,000 tons, as well as increase the circularity of plastics from 6% recorded in 2022 to 53% projected by 2040.
