The main goal of this paper was to address the picture of urban solid wastes collection in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2000. A hierarchical analysis was performed as considering demographic and socioeconomic variables and the demand and supply dimensions of such services. The study was able to identify the profile of the population that has no access to these services in the State, who inhabit mainly small villages in the poorest regions and slums in the largest cities, representing the poorest and less literate portion of the population, with limited access to culture and to health services.
solid waste collection; hierarchical model; supply; demand