Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla and Health Minister María Luisa Avila signed the new Integral Waste Management Law Thursday.

“We now have clear rules for how to manage the solid waste problem,” Chinchilla said. “We also have something that is very important in public politics – a clear rector en the hands of the Health Ministry.”

The law passed unanimously in the Legislative Assembly on May 25 and its regulations will be put into place over the next 10 years.

The new law establishes a national recycling program to be under the supervision of the Health Ministry. The ministry will be in charge of assuring that municipalities begin to “guarantee selective waste collection services” and that the townships keep public spaces and waterways trash free.

The ministry will also help enforce a series of rules and sanctions for the improper disposal of waste.

“We are going to continue to work to eradicate many of the waste problems that, today, still affect us,” Chinchilla said.