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AIMS: Leachate comprises a solid waste decomposition product found fresh in collection trucks or as an effluent in landfills. This study aimed to assess the occurrence, concentrations, and genetic diversity of intact rotavirus species A (RVA) in solid waste leachate. METHODS AND RESULTS: Leachate samples were concentrated by ultracentrifugation, treated with propidium monoazide (PMA), and exposed to LED photolysis. Treated and untread samples were extracted using the QIAamp Fast DNA Stool mini kit, and nucleic acids were screened for RVA employing a Taqman® Real-time PCR. The PMA RT-qPCR method detected RVA in eight out of nine truck samples and in 15.40% (2/13) of the landfill leachate samples. The RVA concentrations in the PMA-treated samples ranged from 4.57 × 103 to 2.15 × 107 genomic copies (GC) 100 mL-1 in truck leachate and from 7.83 × 103 to 1.42 × 104 GC 100 mL-1 in landfill samples. Six truck leachate samples were characterized as RVA VP6 genogroup I2 by partial nucleotide sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: The high intact RVA detection rates and concentrations in truck leachate samples indicate potential infectivity and comprise a warning for solid waste collectors concerning hand-to-mouth contact and the splash route.

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We present a sector arc routing problem-based spatial decision support system technology to develop tactical and operational plans and manage solid waste collection activities including household refuse collection and human and mechanical street sweeping. The proposed technology can also manage solid waste services through optimization (minimizing sector costs, distances and resources). The proposed technology is called optimized planning and integrated logistics management. It can be directly applied to Brazilian municipalities as it contains its major natural features. The system uses advanced technics from sector arc routing and sector scheduling, fleet and staff scheduling and daily plan management using mobile smartphone apps. The technology also allows for waste system inspections that are transparent to all participants in real time. We present the results of cases evaluated in the field for residential refuse collection and human and mechanical street sweeping in two Brazilian cities (Campo Grande and São Paulo). The plan implementations achieved from 12 to 28% actual fixed and variable cost savings for sectors (vehicles and workers) and routes (time and distances) for residential refuse collection and from 7 to 42% savings for human and mechanical street sweeping for the companies.

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A variety of problems related to waste management systems can be found in the literature, as they have become tougher to solve over the years. With this in mind, a report of the most influential research concerns in this field could help develop innovative works for solving waste management applications. Literature reviews appear in most introductions and discussion sections of research reports, case reports, and expert opinion papers. It was immediately observed that Cluster Analysis, a multivariate data mining technique, has been used in various applications for sustainability issues. For this reason, this paper shows the results of a Systematic Literature Review on Cluster Analysis techniques applied to waste management. This paper's primary goal is to detect what is happening with the applications and techniques in clustering techniques for waste management and, in this way, define possible gaps in this research field. The 61 analyzed papers were categorized into nine application types within the field of waste management (logistics/business; landfill research; theoretical/consequential; waste collection problems; location/selection; monitoring/decision support systems; leachate/water contamination; waste incineration/energy production and, waste forecast/waste production behavior). Following an analysis of their content, gaps were found related to exploring the complex situations in each problem. Instead of using general rules and constraints for their methodologies to solve real-world problems, they resorted to theoretical orientation solutions. Furthermore, suggestions from specialists in the field and more fitting constraints related to the data evaluated could make the works seem less theoretical and more visually applicable.

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In the commune of Renca in Santiago, Chile, the household waste is currently collected on the kerbside and then thrown in the rear of a compactor truck. This system becomes inefficient when not all citizens are always serviced, yielding high overall collection costs and negative impacts on the environment and the society. Recently, recyclable waste collection sites have been situated throughout the commune, which need to be examined with respect to population coverage and average travel distances to these sites. This study employs mixed-integer linear programming models and geographic information systems to solve the bin location-allocation problem for household and recyclable waste separately. The results are shown for different values of waste generation, bin capacities, and travel distances, in addition to considering the users' and municipality's preferences in the decision-making process. The proposed recyclable waste bin locations present a more efficient solution than the existing collection sites in the commune of Renca since more users are serviced within a shorter travel distance to dispose of their recyclable waste.

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Introduction: Despite the major social and environmental importance of domestic waste collectors, who perform one of the most unsanitary types of work, they still have to deal with the stigma attached to their profession for collecting what society has discarded. Objectives: To analyze the perception of waste collectors about their work and health. Methods: Interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with domestic waste collectors from the municipal government staff of a medium-sized city in the state of Paraná, Brazil. A demographic questionnaire was also applied. Answers were analyzed according to Bardin's content analysis. Results: Data were collected from 17 participants, all men, with a mean age of 47.7 years. Workers showed different points of view regarding work difficulties and problems, health, people's perception about their work, and the importance of their work. Discussion: Although some answers had opposite perspectives, all participants recognized the importance of their work for society, which is not reciprocated. The way collection activities are performed, with collectors using their bodies as an instrument, and the lack of recognition by society may result in physical and psychological problems. Conclusions: Improving working conditions and making these workers visible to society, considering their indispensability, could promote health strategies directed at this working class.

Introdução: Os coletores de lixo doméstico, que, apesar da relevância social e ambiental que representam, realizam um trabalho considerado insalubre em grau máximo, ainda lidam com o estigma ligado à profissão por realizarem a coleta do que a sociedade descartou. Objetivos: Analisar a percepção dos catadores de lixo sobre o seu trabalho e sua saúde. Métodos: Foram realizadas entrevistas com questões abertas, submetidas à análise de conteúdo de Bardin, com coletores de lixo domiciliar pertencentes ao quadro de funcionários de prefeitura municipal de uma cidade de porte médio do estado do Paraná, além de um questionário social. Resultados: Foram coletados dados de 17 coletores, todos do sexo masculino, com idade média de 47,7 anos. Diferentes olhares foram apresentados sobre dificuldades, problemas, sua saúde, o olhar da população e a importância de seu trabalho. Discussão: Por vezes, as falas indicaram opiniões opostas, mas eles reconhecem a importância de seu trabalho para a sociedade, o que não é recíproco. Problemas físicos e mentais podem decorrer da maneira como o trabalho é exercido, usando o corpo como instrumento, e da forma como sentem o reconhecimento de seu trabalho pela sociedade. Conclusões: Melhorar as condições de trabalho e torná-los visíveis para a sociedade, dada sua imprescindibilidade, são estratégias de promoção da saúde para esses trabalhadores.

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La optimización de la recolección de los residuos domiciliarios y los hábitos de salud previenen infecciones y enfermedades del Covid-19; por lo que, el recojo de los residuos permite reducir hospederos de moscas que son vectores de enfermedades. Por este motivo, se realizó la investigación sobre la recolección de residuos domiciliarios y hábitos de higiene al manipularlos durante la pandemia. El objetivo fue determinar la eficiencia del servicio de recolección de residuos e higiene al manipular los residuos. La metodología se basa en la investigación descriptiva, por lo que se usó instrumentos de cuestionarios sobre qué opinión tiene sobre el plan de recojo de residuos, cuál es su opinión sobre el plan de recojo de residuo y hace el lavado de manos constantemente al manipular los residuos. Los resultados determinaron que diciembre destacó que se debe mejorar el recojo de residuos con 19 %, sacan sus residuos a la hora del recojo con 91 %, está de acuerdo con la gestión municipal sobre el recojo de residuos con 88 y en hábitos de salud hace el lavado de mano con 82 % y uso de alcohol con 12 %. Se concluye que el recojo de residuos fue eficiente para tener un ambiente saludable; sin embargo, se debe tener en cuenta el lavado de manos. Por lo tanto, estas actitudes de higiene prevendrán enfermarse.

The optimization of household waste collection and health habits prevent infections and diseases of Covid-19; therefore, the collection of waste allows to reduce hosts of flies that are vectors of diseases. For this reason, research was conducted on the collection of household waste and hygiene habits when handling it during the pandemic. The objective was to determine the efficiency of the waste collection service and hygiene when handling waste. The methodology is based on descriptive research, so questionnaire instruments were used on what opinion they have about the waste collection plan, what is their opinion about the waste collection plan and do they wash their hands constantly when handling waste. The results determined that December highlighted that waste collection should be improved with 19%, they take out their waste at the time of collection with 91%, they agree with the municipal management of waste collection with 88% and in health habits they wash their hands with 82% and use alcohol with 12%. It is concluded that waste collection was efficient to have a healthy environment; however, hand washing should be taken into account. Therefore, these hygiene attitudes will prevent getting sick.

A otimização da coleta de lixo doméstico e hábitos de saúde previnem infecções e doenças do Covid-19; Portanto, a coleta de resíduos permite reduzir hospedeiros de moscas que são vetores de doenças. Por isso, foi realizada uma pesquisa sobre a coleta de lixo doméstico e hábitos de higiene ao manuseá-lo durante a pandemia. O objetivo foi determinar a eficiência do serviço de coleta de resíduos e higiene no manuseio dos resíduos. A metodologia é baseada em pesquisa descritiva, então foram utilizados instrumentos de questionário sobre a opinião que você tem sobre o plano de coleta de resíduos, qual a sua opinião sobre o plano de coleta de resíduos e você lava constantemente as mãos ao manusear os resíduos. Os resultados determinaram que dezembro destacou que a coleta de resíduos deve ser melhorada com 19%, eles retiram seus resíduos no momento da coleta com 91%, concordam com a gestão municipal na coleta de resíduos com 88% e nos hábitos de saúde faz a lavagem das mãos com 82% e uso de álcool com 12%. Conclui-se que a gestão da coleta de lixo domiciliar é favorável; no entanto, a lavagem das mãos deve continuar a ser otimizada e levada em conta de forma eficiente para evitar adoecimento; uma vez que é provável que o vírus esteja presente por 72 horas na superfície.

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The management of the collection of Municipal Solid Waste is a complex task for local governments since it consumes a large portion of their budgets. Thus, the use of computer-aided tools to support decision-making can contribute to improve the efficiency of the system and reduce the associated costs, especially in developing countries, which usually suffer from a shortage of resources. In the present work, a simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to address the problem of designing the routes of waste collection vehicles. The proposed algorithm is compared to a commercial solver based on a mixed-integer programming formulation and two other metaheuristic algorithms, i.e., a state-of-the-art large neighborhood search and a genetic algorithm. The evaluation is carried out on both a well-known benchmark from the literature and real instances of the Argentinean city of BahȪa Blanca. The proposed algorithm was able to solve all the instances, having a performance similar to the large neighborhood procedure, while the genetic algorithm showed the worst results. The simulated annealing algorithm was also able to improve the solutions of the solver in many instances of the real dataset.

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Since the 1980's, some Mexican municipalities have subcontracted waste collection services to private companies, with an eye on increasing the efficiency of this service. However, the impact of private management on the Mexican waste sector performance has not been evaluated. In this study, the efficiency of waste collection in Mexico was analyzed to test the hypothesis that private companies are more efficient at waste collection than municipal governments. A two stage double bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was applied to a sample of 1,626 municipalities. In the first stage, unbiased efficiency scores were calculated, and in the second stage, these scores were regressed against a set of environmental covariates which were thought to affect efficiency, including a dummy variable to identify the municipalities where waste is collected by a private company. Results suggest that private waste collection companies are more efficient than municipal governments. Other environmental variables such as population density, average household income, and tourism were also found to affect waste collection efficiency. The analysis also indicates that curbside collection is associated with a higher efficiency, while separate collection of waste is negatively correlated to efficiency.

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A solution strategy based on integer linear programming models has been developed for leaf sweeping operations in the Argentine city of Trenque Lauquen. The aim is to achieve efficiency in the assignment of sweepers to city blocks, the identification of leaf bag deposit points and the routes to be followed by collection trucks for leaf bag pickup. Previous to this strategy, sweeper assignments were improvised and inefficient, with blocks often left unswept. Furthermore, no method was available for accurately determining the number of sweepers needed to ensure either full coverage of all city zones within the working day or a balanced work load distribution across all sweepers. Application of the solution strategy by the city has resulted in efficient definitions of sweeper requirements while optimizing sweeper assignments such that all blocks are covered. Once the strategy is fully implemented, the number of bag deposit points under the manual definitions should be reduced by roughly one-half and the total travel distance of the truck routes, modelled as an asymmetric travelling salesman problem, should be cut by 10-15% with the consequent savings in time, vehicle use and fuel consumption.

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The open burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) -frequently observed in developing countries- emits harmful pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC), and deteriorates the air quality in urban areas. This work reports on PM2.5 and BC measurements (fixed and mobile) conducted in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of a Brazilian city (Londrina), complemented by a public opinion survey to understand the open burning in the context of waste management. Mean (± standard deviation) BC concentration (1.48 ± 1.40 µg m-3) at the fixed sites of the neighborhood was lower than downtown, while PM2.5 (9.68 ± 8.40 µg m-3) concentration was higher. The mobile monitoring showed higher mean PM2.5 concentrations but lower BC/PM2.5 ratios than downtown, with sharp and fast spikes (up to 317.87 and 565.21 µg m-3 for BC and PM2.5, respectively). The large spatial heterogeneity of particulate concentrations was associated with the occurrence of MSW burning events. Our observations were verified by the survey respondents who identified poor waste management practices: garbage in streets, waste burning, and illegal dump sites. Even though the area has a municipal waste collection service, the majority of the respondents (87%) had seen waste burning close to their homes on a weekly basis, and think that people burn waste out of habit (54%) and because they are not patient to wait for the collection services (67%). To combat this illegal practice, we suggest raising the public awareness through campaigns at local level, adopting education initiatives and economic incentives for correct waste segregation, and enforcing regular inspection of burning events by the authorities. Our research method proved to be a time- and cost-effective approach for mapping particulate concentrations and for identifying undesirable waste practices, and could be effectively applied to other global cities.

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Brazilian municipalities face several difficulties while carrying out the municipal selective waste collection (MSWC); at the same time, waste pickers organizations (WPOs) need to overcome many challenges to compete in the waste management market. In order to reach the requirements of the Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP), it is necessary to know which factors interfere in the performance of MSWC programs and WPOs to understand the relationships between these factors. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the sustainability of MSWC programs and WPOs in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, and propose a new methodological strategy. For data collection, questionnaires were given to municipal civil workers from 24 municipalities and managers of 23 WPOs to calculate sustainability indicators and their correlations. Means and frequencies were calculated to analyze indicators in relation to sustainability; peer-to-peer correlation analyses were performed to the construct graphs that obtained correlation coefficients, which were applied to study the normality distribution. For each indicator, we provided necessary investments to practical solutions. As a result, a methodological proposal was presented to improve their actions, which was hierarchized by degrees of temporal urgency for their implementation. The design of the actions has great potential to improve and develop sustainability practices in WPOs and MSWC programs. Due to the low quality of primary data collected, we recommend the creation of the data control systems to continuously monitor.

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This study proposes a design of a household waste collection system based on a two-stage procedure. First, the bin location-allocation problem is solved by selecting collection sites from a set of potential sites, and determining the type and number of bins at each selected collection site. Second, bin-to-bin waste collection routes are obtained for a fleet of homogeneous vehicles that are restricted by either work shift duration or vehicle capacity. Mixed integer linear programming (MILP) models are proposed for both stages, considering the particular characteristics of the problem. The models are applied to a real-world instance in the commune of Renca in Santiago, Chile. The results of first stage indicate an important preference for small bins since they have a lower unitary cost. Due to the large size of the real instance, a Large Neighborhood Search (LNS) heuristic is used in the second stage to find good feasible vehicle routing solutions in a reasonable period of time. The results for the routing phase suggest a larger number of routes in the morning work shift since these routes have shorter distances. The LNS heuristic presents a satisfactory behavior when compared to the MILP model with small instances. The proposed bin-to-bin household waste collection vehicle routing presents a more efficient solution than the existing door-to-door waste collection in the commune of Renca with respect to the total daily traveled distance and the average work shift duration. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is presented and discussed for both models.

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RESUMO Os resíduos de serviços de saúde (RSS) são todos aqueles resíduos gerados nos serviços que prestam atendimento à saúde humana ou animal. Os RSS são classificados em cinco grupos (Grupo A, Grupo B, Grupo C, Grupo D e Grupo E), dos quais uma parcela apresenta periculosidade. A legislação brasileira recomenda que os resíduos pertencentes ao Grupo D sejam reciclados. Contudo, com base na má segregação existente, o encaminhamento desses materiais representa riscos aos profissionais que manejam os resíduos intra e extraestabelecimentos de saúde, incluindo os trabalhadores que atuam junto às cooperativas de triagem de materiais recicláveis. Nesse contexto, este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a presença de RSS destinados inadequadamente às cooperativas de triagem de materiais recicláveis de um município da zona Sul do Rio Grande do Sul. Para tanto, foi realizada uma caracterização quali-quantitativa dos RSS incidentes nas cinco cooperativas do município durante o período de quatro semanas. A partir dos resultados obtidos, verificou-se a presença de RSS no programa de coleta seletiva (PCS) municipal e, também, que a quantidade incidente varia conforme a cooperativa estudada e a semana avaliada. Ao final das caracterizações, foram quantificados 36,23 kg de RSS entre todas as cooperativas. Tais resultados indicam falhas na segregação e na destinação de RSS, seja pela população e/ou pelos estabelecimentos de saúde, além de evidenciarem a fragilidade existente no PCS do município. À vista disso, torna-se necessária a implementação de políticas públicas, tanto educativas quanto de fiscalização, que sejam capazes de assegurar maior segurança no âmbito de trabalho das cooperativas de triagem de materiais recicláveis.

ABSTRACT Healthcare waste (HCW) is all the waste generated by human or animal health care activities. HCW is classified into five groups, of which a portion presents hazardousness. Brazilian legislation recommends that waste belonging to Group D be recycled. However, based on the poor existing waste segregation, the forwarding of these materials presents risks to the professionals who handle them inside and out of health care facilities, including the workers within recyclable material waste picker cooperatives. In such a context, this study aimed to investigate the presence of HCW inappropriately sent to waste pickers cooperatives of a municipality in the south of Rio Grande do Sul. To this end, a qualitative and quantitative characterization of HCW incidence in the five cooperatives of the municipality was performed during the period of four weeks. From the results obtained, it was possible to verify the presence of HCW in the municipal selective waste collection program and that HCW quantities vary according to the waste pickers cooperative studied and the week being evaluated. At the end of the characterizations, 36.23 kg of HCW were quantified amongst all the cooperatives. Such results indicate flaws in HCW segregation and destination, either by the population and/or by health care facilities, in addition to showing the fragility in the municipality's selective waste collection program. In view of this, it is necessary to implement public policies, both educational and supervisory, that can ensure greater safety in the work environment of recyclable material waste picker cooperatives.

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Resumo Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a evidência científica nacional e internacional existente sobre o motivo do estoque e a forma de descarte dos medicamentos no domicílio. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura de 2001 a 2016 nas bases de dados PubMed, Lilacs e Elsevier's Scopus Database, utilizando os seguintes unitermos: "Disposal of medicines in household", "Disposal of expired drugs", "Residential expired drugs", "Management of expired medications in household". Foram selecionados 33 estudos originais após aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão. Os estudos analisados demonstraram que os principais motivos de estoque no domicílio foram: automedicação; guarda para uso futuro e sobras de tratamentos anteriores. E quanto ao descarte dos medicamentos, prevalecem práticas inadequadas, como descarte no lixo comum e na rede de esgoto. Alguns países têm adotado programas de orientação sobre o armazenamento e o descarte correto, no entanto, foi apenas encontrado um estudo que descreve um programa nacional gratuito, para orientar essas práticas. A partir das evidências cientificas verificou-se a importância do incentivo para a elaboração e a implementação de políticas públicas voltadas para o uso e descarte adequado de medicamentos no domicílio.

Abstract This study's objective was to analyze Brazilian and international scientific evidence on the reasons people store medication at home and the disposal methods used. This systematic literature review includes studies published from 2001 to 2016 and indexed in PubMed, Lilacs and Elsevier's Scopus Database, using the following key words: Disposal of medicines in household, Disposal of drugs expired, Residential expired drugs, Management of expired medications in household. Thirty-three studies were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies reveal that the main reasons people keep a stock of medicines at home include the possibility of future use, leftovers from previous treatments, and self-medication. Inappropriate disposal methods prevail, such as throwing medicines in the household trash or flushing them into the sewer. Some countries have adopted programs to educate on proper storage and disposal of medicines, though only one study describes a national program guiding these practices that is free of charge. Evidence shows there is a need to implement public policies intended to provide guidance on the proper storage and disposal of medicines at home.

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RESUMO: Objetivo: Analisar a associação entre os determinantes contextuais referentes ao saneamento básico e a autoavaliação de saúde nas capitais brasileiras. Métodos: Analisaram-se 27.017 adultos (≥ 18 anos) residentes nas 27 capitais brasileiras em 2013, utilizando dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS). Ajustaram-se modelos multiníveis logísticos bayesianos para analisar a associação entre a autoavaliação de saúde e a cobertura dos serviços de saneamento básico (rede de esgoto, abastecimento de água e coleta de lixo), controlando a análise por fatores individuais (primeiro nível do modelo) e renda per capita da cidade de residência (segundo nível). Resultados: A maior cobertura de serviços de saneamento básico esteve consistentemente associada à melhor percepção da saúde, mesmo após o controle pelas características individuais e contextuais. Observou-se menor chance de autoavaliação ruim de saúde entre indivíduos que viviam em capitais com média (odds ratio - OR = 0,59; intervalo de confiança - IC95% = 0,57 - 0,61) e alta (OR = 0,61; IC95% = 0,57 - 0,66) cobertura da rede de coleta de esgoto; média (OR = 0,77; IC95% = 0,71 - 0,83) cobertura de serviço de abastecimento de água; e alta (OR = 0,78; IC95% = 0,69 - 0,89) proporção de coleta de lixo. Conclusão: A associação positiva entre melhores condições de saneamento básico e a autoavaliação da saúde, independentemente dos fatores individuais e das condições socioeconômicas do local de residência, confirma a necessidade de se considerar o saneamento básico na elaboração de políticas de saúde.

ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between the contextual determinants related to basic sanitation and self-reported health in Brazilian capitals. Methods: The sample consisted of 27,017 adults (≥18 years) residing in the 27 Brazilian capitals in 2013, from the National Health Survey (PNS). The association between self-reported health and sanitation (sewage system, water supply and garbage collection) was analyzed using Bayesian multilevel models, controlling for individual factors (first level of the model) and area-level socioeconomic characteristics (second level). Results: We found a consistent association between better self-reported health and better sanitation levels, even after controlling for individual and contextual characteristics. At the contextual level, lower odds of poor self-reported health was observed among those living in areas with medium (OR = 0.59, 95%CI 0.57 - 0.61) or high (OR = 0.61, 95%CI 0.57 - 0.66) sewage system level; medium (OR = 0.77, 95%CI 0.71 - 0.83) coverage of water supply; and high (OR = 0.78, 95%CI 0.69 - 0.89) garbage collection level. Conclusion: The positive association between better sanitation conditions and health, independently of the individual factors and the socioeconomic characteristics of the place of residence, confirms the need to consider sanitation in the planning of health policies.

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This paper explores the meaning of the concept of informality as applied to the waste management sector, by presenting the case of municipal waste collection in a neighbourhood of Mexico City called Tepito. Tepito's municipal service of waste collection is intricately related to informal activities of waste collection and management. This paper focuses on the work of informal street sweepers, who collect waste in certain streets of the neighbourhood, replacing the municipal collection service; and on that of "volunteers", unwaged informal workers recruited by the garbage-men to help on the municipal collection route. The informal cash flows resulting from the work of the volunteers are also described. The case of Tepito illustrates two formal-informal arrangements in the provision of the waste collection service: the coordination of independent services, and a relation of interdependence where the formal system is sustained by informal work. By exploring the scale of informality, the actors involved, and its governance system, this paper suggests that informality exists not as a particular sector of waste management, but rather as unregulated practices carried out by governmental and non-governmental actors, which are enabled by an informal governance system, and which (in Tepito) play a crucial role in sustaining the municipal waste collection service. As different systems of service provision are co-constructed by both formal and informal elements, informality may best be identified at the level of practices that occur within such systems. Conclusions discuss policy implications and avenues for future research.

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Although recycling is a viable alternative to minimizing the impacts of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), identification of the local recycling market is a requirement for its empowerment. This paper aims to assess the recyclable solid waste market in 16 cities of Brazil. Through the application of interviews, field research and secondary data collection this research observed that while relying on poor infrastructure and on Government subsidies, the 12 pickers organizations surveyed can deliver 18.53% of recyclable waste to recycling with an average sorting productivity of 109 kg/picker/day and average earnings of US$ 293.40/picker/month. Based on the validated methods, 17% of these organizations were classified as having average efficiency, whereas 82% of them operated with very low efficiency. The investment required for the adequacy and expansion of the sorting capacity of waste pickers' organizations has been estimated at US$ 2.5 M, which could be counterbalanced by the savings with the current US$ 2 M/year spent with the disposal of recyclable waste into landfills. We also estimate new 189 job openings in the pickers' organizations to meet the requirements of the proposed scenario, contrasting with the current 93 cooperative members currently formalized. Regarding the consumer market, only few recycling companies were identified in the region, which may justify the low price paid for waste. The market for recyclables is mostly composed of micro and small companies that generally carry out the collection, transportation, sorting, and commercialization.

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This article reports on the use of mathematical programming techniques to optimise the routes of a recyclable waste collection system servicing Morón, a large municipality outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. The truck routing problem posed by the system is a particular case of the generalised directed open rural postman problem. An integer programming model is developed with a solving procedure built around a subtour-merging algorithm and the addition of subtour elimination constraints. The route solutions generated by the proposed methodology perform significantly better than the previously used, manually designed routes, the main improvement being that coverage of blocks within the municipality with the model solutions is 100% by construction, whereas with the manual routes as much as 16% of the blocks went unserviced. The model-generated routes were adopted by the municipality in 2014 and the national government is planning to introduce the methodology elsewhere in the country.

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O descarte de medicamento feito pela população é um tema que vem sendo cada vez mais discutido, Há uma crescente preocupação, pois a grande maioria da população não tem o conhecimento das consequências ambientais e nem das consequências à saúde pública que o descarte incorreto de medicamentos pode causar, Surgem ao redor do país, algumas iniciativas privativas e isoladas apresentando soluções à problemática, oferecendo à população estrutura para o descarte correto e informação sobre o tema, Por ainda não haver uma legislação nacional efetiva sobre o assunto, os estados lançam leis, regulamentando a problemática em seus territórios, No Ceará, foi sancionada em 2012 a lei no 15.192, obrigando às farmácias, drogarias e distribuidoras de medicamentos a recolherem os medicamentos da população, porém, devido à realidade local, não está sendo totalmente cumprida, Com a intensificação de discussões sobre as iniciativas particulares e as legislações locais, com o envolvimento de vários setores da sociedade e com a troca de experiências de programas em funcionamento, torna-se possível impulsionar projetos em locais onde a população ainda não tem oportunidade de dar a destinação correta aos medicamentos em desuso, Esse artigo traz à discussão a ocorrência de resíduos de medicamentos no meio ambiente, aspectos relacionados aos avanços na legislação brasileira quanto ao manejo de resíduos de medicamentos, às propostas de implantação de programas de recolhimento de medicamentos no país e alguns de seus desafios...

Drug disposal by the population is an important issue that has been widely discussed. There is a growing concern, because the vast majority of the population has no awareness on the environmental and public health consequences related to incorrect disposal of drugs. Some isolated initiatives arise around the country presenting solutions to the problem, and offering structure and information for proper disposal. There is still no effective national legislation in Brazil on the subject hence states launch laws regulating the problem in their own territory. In the state of Ceará the law 15192 was enacted in 2012 forcing pharmacies, drugstores and drug distributors to collect the population’s disposed drug, but due to local conditions, has not yet been fully met. With the intensification of discussions about particular initiatives and local laws, with the involvement of various segments of society and the exchange of experiences of running programs, it is possible to boost projects in areas where the population has no opportunity to give the correct destination for unused medicines. This article brings to the discussion the occurrence of drug waste in the environment, issues related to advances in Brazilian legislation regarding management of drug waste, proposals for implantation of drug collecting programs in the country and some of its challenges...

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RESUMO

In Maputo, the selective waste collection is undertaken in a very limited way and is largely a result of nongovernmental projects or individual initiatives. The objective of the study was to analyze household selective waste collection in Maputo emphasizing those in partnership with the municipality, in order to evaluate their potentialities. The research methods were bibliographical and documental research and qualitative interviews. The interviews were with representatives from: Municipal Directorate of Cleansing and Cemeteries; coordinators of four pickers' organizations (Recicla, Fertiliza, Amor and Pagalata). In addition, there were technical visits to units for sorting recyclables and collecting/selling stations. The research showed that the initiatives are positive, in terms of social and economic capital, although altogether the projects deviate less than 1 per cent of the urban solid waste produced daily in the municipality. One of the major problems for promoting selective waste collection in Mozambique is lack of local industries that transform recyclable materials in recycled products. It is therefore important to provide a legal framework for municipal selective waste collection service with pickers' and citizens' participation.

Em Maputo, a coleta seletiva ocorre de forma restrita, majoritariamente como resultado de iniciativas não governamentais ou individuais. Este estudo apresenta um panorama desses projetos e enfatiza iniciativas em parceria com o município. O objetivo foi analisar experiências de coleta seletiva de resíduos sólidos domiciliares em parcerias com organizações de catadores em Maputo, Moçambique, a fim de avaliar suas perspectivas. Foram realizadas pesquisas bibliográficas e documentais e entrevistas qualitativas semiestruturadas com: representante da Direção Municipal de Saúde e Salubridade do Município de Maputo; coordenadores administrativos de quatro organizações de catadores (Recicla, Fertiliza, Amor e Pagalata). Além disso, foram feitas visitas técnicas aos galpões/usinas de triagem e estações de coleta dessas organizações. As iniciativas, embora, em conjunto, desviem menos de 1 por cento dos resíduos sólidos urbanos produzidos no município, foram avaliadas positivamente em aspectos de formação de capital social e econômico. A pesquisa também demonstrou que um problema para a coleta seletiva e a reciclagem em Moçambique é a carência de um mercado local e um parque reciclador que utilize e transforme materiais recicláveis em produtos reciclados. Nesse sentido, faz-se necessário definir um marco legal de serviço municipal de coleta seletiva com a participação dos catadores e munícipes.

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