Disposing the growing amount of solid waste from Argentina's cities is an urgent problem. The Buenos Aires metropolitan area creates nearly two million tons of garbage annually, all of which is compacted and burned, or buried in landfill sites – creating soil, air and water pollution. Leaking bags of garbage contaminate and block drainages.

Argentina has no recycling program and thus does not separate organic, inorganic and dangerous wastes. Ironically, some of Argentina's waste paper and glass is exported to Brazil for recycling, and then sold back to Argentina. This creates an economic opportunity for freelance recyclers of paper, glass, metal, plastic, and household items in the Buenos Aires area where the annual waste stream includes some 117,000 tons of paper, 94,000 tons of plastic, 40,300 tons of glass, and 21,000 tons of metal.