Citation

Wex A. Natl. Assoc. Pract. Anthropol. Bull. 2007; 27(1): 64-80.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, American Anthropological Association, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1525/napa.2007.27.1.64

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

University of Calgary Waste management is a universal occupation that is expressed in many ways according to cultural mores and available resources. Efficient waste management is obligatory for maintaining public health, environmental sustainability, and visual aesthetics. Furthermore, the requirement to uphold these conditions is heightened in regions that rely economically on tourism, where foreign methods and expectations for waste management are introduced and implemented at the community level. This paper addresses these issues in relation to the Lake Atitl´n town of Panajachel, Guatemala, where tourism and garbage form an unlikely partnership across town politics, economics, and cultural diversity. Traditional waste management processes have shaped local behavior, continuing to present challenges for a region dealing with the influx of foreign actors, products, and ideas for waste management in Panajachel.