Resíduos Sólidos

1503

Solid urban waste: socio-environmental impacts and prospects for sustainable management with social inclusion

Nelson Gouveia 1

1

Departamento de Medicina
Preventiva, Faculdade de
Medicina, Universidade de
São Paulo. Av. Dr. Arnaldo
455. 01246-903 São Paulo
SP. [e-mail]

Abstract Strategies to reconcile development with the protection of ecosystems will yet again be discussed at the forthcoming Rio +20 Summit. The management of solid urban waste is an issue which has barely been touched upon in such discussions.
Given the institutionalization of the National
Solid Waste Policy, this paper seeks to contribute to this debate and to single out alternatives to tackle this issue with an emphasis on social inclusion. For this purpose, specialized scientific literature was consulted as well as information on solid waste management. It is clearly seen that inadequate management of solid waste has immediate impacts on the environment and health, and contributes to climate change. Considering the limitations of the current options for waste disposal, it is essential to minimize the quantities produced by reducing, reusing and recycling. In this context, the role of independent waste gatherers who have been conducting work of great environmental importance is highlighted. Given the vulnerabilities of this population, it is necessary to devise public policies to ensure that waste gathering is a more respected and less risky activity that guarantees an income, so as to move towards more healthy, equitable and sustainable development. Key words Solid waste, Health impacts, Environmental impacts, Recycling, Waste collectors,
Social inclusion

Resumo Com a Rio+20 retoma-se a discussão de estratégias para conciliar desenvolvimento com proteção dos ecossistemas. Um tema apenas tangenciado nessas discussões é o gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos urbanos. Diante da institucionalização da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos,