Challenges of selective collection of the household waste: A case study in a Brazilian metropolis

This work sought to analyse the main difficulties in implementing and maintaining the selective waste collection in a Brazilian metropolis with more than one million inhabitants. Therefore, a qualitative method was used through in-depth interviews with 18 professionals working in the area of selective collection. The interviews were recorded and the data submitted to content analysis. The results showed the following difficulties: lack of management by the government, low efficiency and limited coverage; poor separation of waste at source; distortions in the selective collection logistics chain and in the distribution of waste by cooperatives; high informality, precarious work and low pay for waste collectors; the presence of middlemen and corruption in the system; and idle capacity of cooperatives and public organs. It was concluded that to overcome the difficulties in the selective collection and for it to be more effective, there is a need to improve the management of the process by the government with greater transparency and integration between the various actors involved, education of the population, better working conditions and remuneration for waste collectors.