Urban environmental services: valuing the environmental benefits of solid waste recycling in Brazil

摘要

Taking into account environmental and economic aspects, this research aims at estimating the environmental services produced by municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling. The text values the urban environmental services associated with the recycling of steel, aluminium, paper, plastic and glass present in MSW in Brazil. Estimates indicate that benefits of current recycling rates reaches something between US$ 1.1 billion and US$ 2.4 billion per year; moreover, if all recyclable material were recycled, such benefits would increase up to US$ 5.2 billion.