Study of Recycling of Polymeric Waste in the City of Manaus:: Part 1 - The Case of Waste Scavengers

Published in: Engineering for a Smarter Planet: Innovation, ITC, and Computational Tools for Sustainable Development: Proceedings of the 9th Latin American and Caribbean Conference for Engineering and Technology
Date of Conference: August 3-5, 2011
Location of Conference: Medellin, Colombia
Authors: Adalena Kennedy Vieira
Raimundo Kennedy Vieira
Edsandra Cavalcante Magalhães
Refereed Paper: #243

Abstract

A intense industrialization and the discovery of new technologies have indirectly contributed to population growth worldwide, causing a swell in the number of people in urban areas. With the diversification of products and services, that results from their consumption the waste has become a serious problem that is costly and complex to manage. For example, after 1980 study of management conducted in Brazil found a shortage of waste disposal sites in urban areas, high social costs in waste management, poor public sanitation and environmental contamination. These problems persist in Brazil today. Thus, it is necessary to develop an environmental management policy for solid waste that changes the concept of waste so that more if it can be recycled and reused such a policy would involve innovation with unconventional materials where appropriate. The construction industry offers much potential for the use of recycled materials as part of its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of this sector or reduce costs. However, the process of research and development of new recycled materials must be carried out carefully to ensure the success of these products in the market. In Brazil, research on the use of alternative materials, mainly for construction is producing highly promising results, particularly for the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, recycling is not yet part of the culture in Brazil. The amount of industrial waste that is recycled is insignificant compared to the amount produced, and every day, this waste assaults the environment because a lack of appropriate handling treatment, and disposal of these wastes. This paper proposes improvements in recycling in the city of Manaus envisioned as part of the manufacturing process of alternative construction materials using polymer waste. The improvements have the potential to greatly reduce the amount of waste in the environment of Manaus and thus to greatly transform the lives of its residents, especially the impoverished slum dwellers who engage in informal recycling as a means of financial support. The first part of the study was targeted specifically at the waste scavengers and was addressed the process of collection, storage and packaging carried out by these scavengers, focusing on the identification of possible kinds of contamination.