Contribution to the development of municipal solid waste management in Brazil based on European experience

This paper aims to present relevant data on municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Europe in order to establish parallel and support the discussion in Brazil. The current situation of municipal solid waste management in Brazil is presented. It is possible to see some consequences of the Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy, especially concerning the increase of MSW disposal in landfills, mostly in metropolitan areas. Recycling in the country is largely based on informal collection by waste pickers or action by private organizations. In Europe the MSW management has largely changed as consequence of the Directive 1999/31/EC, which set targets for waste disposal in landfills, and the Directive 94/62/EC, about packaging collection. This paper presents data about predominant MSW treatment and disposal technologies and some mechanisms applied to implementing the scenario changes in Europe. The Swiss example is detailed showing how the charging of fees drives people's actions. It must be recognized that the MSW management has to be planned from collection to final destination, using and integrating different treatment technologies, in accordance with local characteristics. It is relevant to Brazil a carefully evaluation, both technically and operationally, of the available solutions considering their local applicability.