A comparative study of waste management practices among different states in the Federation of Brazil

摘要

Every day, urban areas in Brazil generate 183,500 tons of MSW - 90% of total households,representing 98% of urban homes, but only 33% of rural. The organic matter is 51.4% of thedaily waste, and only 31.9% is composed of recyclable materials (aluminum, plastics, paper,steel, metals, and glass) and waste generation increases by 50% every decade. Some of thiswaste will be recovered by an army of informal recyclers in large cities and less in smaller cities.However, more than 11% reaches open dumpsites where it poses a danger to public health,deteriorates the environment, and causes climate change. Of the 5000 Brazilians municipalities,only 9% of these have a management plan. Solid waste management is a major challenge inurban areas. Without an effective and efficient solid-waste management program, the wastegenerated from various human activities, both industrial and domestic, can result in healthhazards and have a negative impact on the environment, beyond the economic costs.Understanding the waste generated, the availability of resources, and the environmentalconditions of a particular society are important to developing an appropriate waste-managementsystem. Some wastes are considered to be hazardous waste, and there are specific though acomplex definition of that qualifies a waste as hazardous is a challenges or opportunity to newstudy. In response to the need of properly managing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Brazil,the first challenge is the lack of data and awareness as well as qualified human resources. Atsome point, these will be overcome. The large scale of the waste problem, the need for safedisposal, and the availability of affordable technology are the three biggest opportunities for theBrazilian government, various ministries, and supporting organizations, as well as the solidwaste management industry have an opportunity to improve public health and quality of life,conserve environmental resources, mitigate climate change, and generate energy with the aid ofnew technology and develop other materials.