Cebu City has a record of failed waste management practices with many ongoing complex challenges as Cebu becomes more urbanized. Current waste management practices have triggered legal actions, particularly with regards to Inayawan landfill, contributing to a need for a viable and sustainable waste management solutions. The population of the City is expected to increase to approximately one million by 2020, as set out in the Cebu City 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan of 2016. Waste service provision is made challenging through some service obligation being delegated to 80 barangays, of which not all have functioning waste management departments.

Final waste disposal options are very constrained in legal, geographical and cost terms. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in the City has historically been dumped in Inayawan (located in Cebu City). The landfill has been closed since 2016 following a court order to cease dumping. As the City does not have functioning landfill sites within the city boundaries and no suitable land for landfilling, residual waste was transported to Consolacion landfill (located north of the City) between 1998 to January 2018. Due to contractual issues, currently residual waste is hauled by a private contractor approximately 40km to Aloguinsan landfill. Cebu City is yet to demonstrate compliance with the national regulatory requirement to develop an approved waste disposal facility.