A practical solution to the problem of household waste management in Brazil

The detailed characterization of household waste in the city of Uberlandia, Central Brazil, reveals the presence of 72 weight percent biodegradable organic matter. For the first time, this research contributes data on Uberlandia to national statistics. A new concept of reporting household waste composition was employed. The effect of informal collection was considered. A better estimate of the true generation rate of household waste in this country resulted. Technical and administrative shortcomings of the present models for household waste management were identified. In order to correct them, the philosophy of divided collection was developed, and the corresponding management model is detailed. The model was applied to a test community. Experiments were conducted with behavior management of people and with collection and sorting of waste. The model was deemed functional. II opens the prospect of diverting 84% of waste from landfill. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.