Cities with 100,000 inhabitants can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33.5% if they manage their solid waste at an intermediate level. The conclusion is a study by the international waste management and circular economy consultancy, S2F Partners.
According to the consultancy, municipalities with intermediate management are those that have universal collection, around 6% recycling and final disposal in landfills with methane gas capture and biogas burning. The survey shows that the reduction in emissions can reach 61.7% in municipalities with advanced solid waste management systems.
“Municipal dumps or landfills without environmental licensing, or that do not adopt adequate treatments for gases and leachate, represent a serious risk to human health and the environment, causing air pollution, soil and water contamination, in addition to encouraging the proliferation of insects”, says the president of the National Association of Municipalities and the Environment, Marçal Cavalcanti.
The study confirms that adequate waste management has considerable potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a more advanced model contributes to the effective decarbonization of cities, in addition to bringing numerous additional benefits, such as environmental protection, better health conditions, job creation and increased property values in the city. The explanation is from Carlos Silva Filho, partner at S2F Partners and member of the United Nations (UN) council for waste.
THECurrently, according to official data from the National Sanitation Information System, Brazil still maintains around 1,600 landfills in operation, in addition to approximately 300 controlled landfills. In total, this represents around 1,900 inappropriate disposal units operating in the national territory.
“Municipal dumps or landfills without environmental licensing, or that do not adopt adequate treatments for gases and leachate, represent a serious risk to human health and the environment, causing air pollution, soil and water contamination, in addition to encouraging the proliferation of insects”, says the president of the National Association of Municipalities and the Environment, Marçal Cavalcanti.
