Solid waste management according to Agenda 21: a case study of a city in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

This study investigates whether or not the actions taken by the government for the management of solid waste in the city of Natal are in compliance with the guidelines in Agenda 21. The Agenda 21 states that public policies for dealing with solid waste must be based upon four principles: reducing the production of waste; maximizing the reutilization and recycling of waste; promoting disposal and treatment; extending the coverage of collection services to the whole population. The main conclusions show the actors are aware of the guidelines and that, as a rule, they render an extremely positive evaluation of their contents for adequate solid waste management. Nevertheless, the actual status of solid waste management in Natal reveals that there is a deep gap between governmental actions and the guidelines in Agenda 21. Governmental actions are chiefly in agreement with two guidelines ¿ the extension of collection coverage and the policy for encouraging recycling ¿ although the main actors believe that the four guidelines are very important.