Resíduos sólidos e coleta seletiva: ações ambientais na Escola Municipal Érico Veríssimo, Restinga Sêca/RS

Abstract

When it comes to urban sustainability, one of the major challenges facing municipalities in the country is the management of solid waste. Since the 1990s, with the increase in household consumption, the issue related to solid waste has been gaining notoriety in the country. Garbage ends up being seen as an environmental problem by more than 27% of Brazilians and as the main urban environmental problem by 48%. As a major source of waste, the population needs a viable solution to this problem, since most of it is destined for so-called dumps, where materials end up in the open, polluting air, water and soil. One of the options that stands out to adequately reuse resources is the selective collection. In fact, the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) has recognized the reusable and recyclable solid waste as an economic good and of social value, which generates work, income and citizenship. In this way, the present work aims to present the selective collection, which shows itself as an option for adequate reuse of the solid waste, as well as to point out the problems that are caused by the waste and to analyze how the selective collection process is. It is concluded that, the studies under analysis are not satisfactory, presenting only a preliminary description of the situation of the selective collection. The growth of these programs is demanding that research methods have improved, and there is a consensus that one of the main problems in managing solid waste is the lack of data, information, controls and communication, usually not sufficient, dispersed, disconnected and heterogeneous . Moreover, public authorities need to be engaged in this quest, promoting awareness campaigns, explaining the proper way to separate waste, and without delay, implement efficient selective collection systems, and many municipalities are suffering from lack of selective collection.