Análise da inclusão dos catadores na gestão dos resíduos sólidos urbanos em municípios do litoral sul do estado de Pernambuco / Brasil

Abstract

The excessive generation of urban solid waste is considered a social and environmental problem caused by the consumerist habit of society. Brazil is inserted in this context, the search for the implementation of sustainable strategies in solid waste management (SWM) has been a challenge for public managers of the entire Brazilian federation, in view of the complexity of factors (cultural, social, environmental, economic, political and technological) related to waste management. On August 2, 2010, the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) was approved, which is considered the main instrument to guide the GRS throughout the national territory. Article 30 of this legislation emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility in the management of urban solid waste (GRSU) with the participation of public authorities, the private sector and the civil society. In this context, one of the ways to implement the objectives of the current legislation is the inclusion of collectors of reusable and recyclable materials from associations and/or cooperatives in the GRSU. The present study took place in the municipalities of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Ipojuca and Tamandaré, with the general objective of analyzing the potential, advances and difficulties of the work of collectors of recyclable materials in the management of urban solid waste, aiming at the implementation of the National Solid Waste Policy, in the municipalities on the southern coast of the state of Pernambuco, with the following specific objectives: a) Diagnosing the process of collection and final disposal of urban solid waste in the study area; b) Identify in the Municipal Solid Waste Plans the strategies planned and executed for the inclusion of recyclable material collectors in the management of urban solid waste; c) Diagnose how the logistics of the work of collectors in associations and cooperatives of recyclable materials occur; d) Analyze recycling associations and cooperatives that already carry out the activity, evaluating the positive and/or negative aspects and difficulties they face; e) Propose alternatives so that the social and economic inclusion of collectors in the management of urban solid waste occurs in accordance with the PNRS. The study presents an approach predominantly focused on qualitative research of the descriptive-exploratory type. To achieve the proposed objectives, the following methodological procedures were adopted: interviews with the public managers responsible for the GRSU and with the presidents of the cooperatives of the surveyed municipalities, analysis of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans (PIGRS), application of semi-structured questionnaires with the collectors of materials, visit the association and the collectors' cooperatives. The analysis of the results of the interviews and of the PGIRS took place through a textual discussion contextualizing the theoretical framework of the research, the results of the application of the questionnaires were presented through tables and graphs based on the analysis of categorical content. The research results showed that the public managers of the study area have not been able to adapt the GRSU in accordance with the objectives and principles of the legislation, in relation to the process of inclusion of collectors in waste management, the research pointed out that through the difficulties, some strategies were implemented that contributed to improve the working conditions of the collectors after approval and regulation of the PNRS, however the actions developed in the GRSU of the municipalities have not provided, in practice, the guarantee of the due social and economic rights of the collectors as recommended by the legislation. The research results contributed to the elaboration of proposals aimed at subsidizing public managers in the study area for the implementation of strategies aimed at improving the process of inclusion of collectors in the GRSU.