Cultural customs often condition solid waste management, especially in developing countries. The decomposition of solid waste depends on climatic conditions and is related to geomorphology and anthropogenic practices. Leachate generated in landfills can migrate superficially and underground, contaminating soils and aquifers. Knowing the level of contaminant load in leachate is important for proper solid waste management. However, in the Andean regions of Peru, there is scarce data on the polluting potential of leachates. This research aimed to determine the Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) according to the sub-indexes of organic, inorganic, and heavy metals from landfills in the high Andean regions of Peru. Physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters were evaluated in fresh and retained leachate samples, in both dry and rainy seasons, from two landfills located at around 3000 m of altitude. The results showed high contamination levels, particularly in BOD₅, COD, NH₃-N, and total coliforms, with high organic and inorganic sub-indexes that affect the LPI, indicating high levels of contamination and posing a potential risk to surrounding ecosystems. It was also found that the high Andean landfills studied have a good-to-high biodegradability. This research contributes essential baseline information for environmental monitoring and supports the need for improved leachate management in high-altitude landfills in Peru and similar Andean contexts.

Growing concern about the environmental impact of traditional packaging has driven the development of biodegradable edible films made from natural and functional biopolymers. Various by-products generated during harvesting can be subjected to valorization. Potato, a tuber with high starch content, and carrot, rich in β-carotene, represent important sources of polymeric matrix and bioactive compounds, respectively. Similarly, the use of biodegradable plasticizers such as pectin and polysaccharides derived from nopal mucilage is a viable alternative. This study assessed the physical and chemical properties of edible films composed of potato starch (PS), cactus mucilage (NM), carrot extract (CJ), citrus pectin (P), and glycerin (G). The films were produced by means of casting, with three mixtures prepared that had different proportions of CJ, P, and PS. The experiments were adjusted to a simple mixture design, and the data were analyzed in triplicate, using Pareto and Tukey diagrams at 5% significance. Results showed that adding CJ (between 5 to 6%), P (between 42 to 44%) and PS (between 43 to 45%) significantly affects all of the evaluated physical and chemical properties, resulting in films with luminosity values greater than 88.65, opacity ranging from 0.20 to 0.54 abs/mm, β-carotene content up to 26.11 μg/100 g, acidity between 0.22 and 0.31% and high solubility with a significant difference between treatments (p-value < 0.05) and low water activity (around of 0.47) (p-value > 0.05). These characteristics provide tensile strength up to 5.7 MPa and a suitable permeability of 1.6 × 10⁻² g·mm/h·m²·Pa (p-value < 0.05), which ensures low diffusivity through the film. Similarly, increasing the CJ addition enables the functional groups of the other components to interact. Using carrot extract and potato starch is a promising approach for producing edible films with good functional qualities but with high permeability.