Domestic waste management: A systemic analysis from the point of view the financial sustainability of municipalities and revenue of waste pickers in Brazil

Abstract

This paper sought to identify and evaluate through two cause-and-effect diagrams how the variables related to the strategies for expanding selective collection and environmental education influence in municipality’s costs of managing domestic waste and Waste Piker organization’s income. For this, a widespread literature research was conducted to collect secondary data. Regarding the municipality’s financial sustainability in the expansion of selective collection programs, it is possible to demonstrate that the expenses with the management of the domestic waste are mainly arising from costs with refuse disposal in landfilling, unsorted collection, and selective (influenced by the modality adopted and executing agent). Concerning waste piker organization’s earnings, it was feasible to confirm that partnerships incentives, increased selective collection coverage, and techniques for selective collection that include the collector, as well as the environmental education public policies influence the waste pickers revenue. In both instances, environmental education was found to be crucial in lowering the amount of landfilling refuse. These notes are significant because they suggest solutions that can help municipalities and waste piker’s organizations maintain their financially sustainable.

Keywords:  Cause and effect diagram; Financial sustainability; Household waste