Evaluation and quantification of household wastes sent for recycling through a selective waste collection system

Abstract

Studies on solid waste production and composition can provide information to underpin the implementation and/or expansion of selective waste collection systems. This paper presents data about household solid wastes disposed of in the municipal sanitary landfill and collected by the municipal selective waste collection system of Sorocaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil, which was established in 2007. Discards of household solid wastes in the municipality were found to average 612 g/person/day and the population that participates in the selective waste collection program has the potential to ensure that 30% of its household solid wastes do not end up in the landfill. However, this represents only 2.6% of total household solid wastes generated in the municipality. Excluding rejects (6.5 wt.% of the total selectively collected wastes), a total daily amount of recyclable or reusable household wastes of 11 tons and 301 m3 is separated, with paper and plastics standing out as the most frequent items (about 53 wt.% and 79 vol.%). If this waste collection system and its current productivity were maintained and all possible household wastes generated in the city sent for recycling, today's infrastructure (space, trucks and workers) would have to increase approximately 11-fold.