Landfills are the destination of most of the refuse generated whereas composting, material recycling, and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies are not commonly employed in developing countries. However, the destination for energy purposes could be supplied with this refuse, improving the viability of energy use. Thus, this article raises some questions to identify aspects that could encourage its use as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in these countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cement industry has been under pressure due to the environmental impact of high cement production, which demands a significant amount of energy and results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In many developed countries, the cement industry has sought to replace conventional fossil fuels with alternatives to minimize GHG emissions; however, Brazil has underexploited this possibility. Considering the potential of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to reduce the non-recycled waste disposed in landfills, and its suitable performance as an alternative fuel for cleaner cement production, this paper presents a reverse logistics network analysis for RDF production planning with respect to local economic incentives, social euqity and justice, pollution prevention, and global environmental concerns regarding carbon emissions reduction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe structure of reverse logistics for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is essential to minimize the impacts of their improper disposal. In this context, the Brazilian Solid Waste Policy (BSWP) was a regulatory milestone in Brazil, submitting WEEE to the mandatory implementation of reverse logistics systems, involving the integration of waste pickers on the shared responsibility for the life cycle of products. This article aims to measure the impact of such legal incentives and the bargaining power obtained by the volume of collected waste on the effective formalization of waste pickers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study proposes a reverse logistics network involved in the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) to solve the challenge of economically managing these wastes considering the recent legal requirements of the Brazilian Waste Management Policy. The feasibility of the allocation of MSW material recovery facilities (MRF) as intermediate points between the generators of these wastes and the options for reuse and disposal was evaluated, as well as the participation of associations and cooperatives of waste pickers. This network was mathematically modelled and validated through a scenario analysis of the municipality of São Mateus, which makes the location model more complete and applicable in practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper aims to evaluate the suitability of the Brazilian solid waste policy (BSWP) with global Agenda 21 and the challenges of implementing the BSWP in municipalities. For this, a review of the principles that guided the creation of this policy was performed to demonstrate that international pressures were important in determining its effectiveness. The contradictory relationship between the satisfactory legal framework that established the Brazilian waste management policy and its weakened implementation in the municipalities is also examined .
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