World · Latin America · 2 hrs ago
Bolivian farmer turns waste into fuel as diesel costs rise
Farmer Etson Machaca turns waste into fuel at a small plant in Ancocala, in Bolivia’s rural Altiplano.
The plant uses heat to break down plastic bags, old tires and used oil, producing 80 to 150 liters of fuel a day.
Machaca uses the fuel in his tractors and other equipment rather than selling it.
It costs 7 to 10 bolivianos per liter, compared with about 18 bolivianos for diesel on the open market.
Bolivia ended state diesel subsidies last month as it sought to shore up public finances, leaving farmers facing higher fuel costs.
The country imports 95% of its diesel, and many Altiplano farms rely on tractors to plow fields, making affordable fuel important for planting and production.
Etson Machaca built a small plant in Bolivia that turns waste into fuel for his farm equipment.
The plant produces between 80 and 150 liters of gasoline and diesel a day using plastic bags, old tires and used oil.
Its fuel costs 7 to 10 bolivianos per liter, compared with about 18 bolivianos for diesel on the open market.
The savings have become important after Bolivia’s government ended state diesel subsidies last month.
Machaca says diesel is essential for farming in the Altiplano, where many families use tractors to plow their fields.
- Who
- Etson Machaca, a farmer and local resident.
- What
- He built a small plant that turns waste into fuel for his tractors and other farm equipment.
- When
- The article was published on October 13, 2026; the government ended diesel subsidies the previous month.
- Where
- Ancocala, in the rural municipality of Laja, Bolivia, about 35 kilometers from La Paz.
- Why
- Rising fuel costs threaten farmers’ livelihoods, and Machaca says diesel is important for planting and production in the Altiplano.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Bolivia’s government ended state diesel subsidies in a bid to shore up public accounts.
Machaca’s small plant was reported to be producing fuel from waste for his farm equipment.
- Daily output
- 80 to 150 liters of gasoline and diesel
- Fuel production cost
- 7 to 10 bolivianos per liter
- Open-market diesel price
- About 18 bolivianos per liter
- Plant location
- Ancocala, rural municipality of Laja, about 35 kilometers from La Paz
- Diesel imports
- Bolivia imports 95% of the diesel it consumes
What people are saying
We transform plastics, bags, tires, used oil. All of that has become raw material for us to produce fuel in the highlands.
If we don't sow today or tomorrow, there is no production here on the Altiplano. So diesel is very important for us.
Sources
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