Hazardous Waste – Resource recovery: existing practices

3 de abril de 2010 English, Trabalhos Técnicos, Hazardous Wastes 50 Views

This document describes how hazardous wastes are recovered and reprocessed by informal small-scale enterprises. It is intended primarily for non-governmental organizations that support small entrepreneurs in the improvement of economic, environmental and occupational health aspects of their businesses.

This publication differs from Urban Waste Series Books 1-3 in that it does not aim to increase the number of enterprises active in this field. Nevertheless, since information about small enterprises recycling household batteries, photographic materials and used motor oil is relatively scarce, it was considered important to document the experiences as presented in six local research reports from Accra, Bamako, Cairo, Calcutta, Manila and Nairobi.

Hazardous Waste, – Resource recovery: existing practices focuses upon existing practices in small-scale hazardous waste recycling. Occupational health and environmental conditions of hazardous waste recycling are identified as one of the main factors impeding the expansion of this recycling sector. Working in this vulnerable environment, an important question is whether small enterprises are able and willing to improve working conditions and diminish environmental pollution. A (theoretical) approach is given on how existing conditions could be improved.

Check Also

Waste management poses challenges, but could unlock major environmental and economic gains

Every day, the city of Rio de Janeiro, one of the largest metropolises in the Southern Hemisphere, generates 17,000 tonnes of waste, ranging from large industrial debris to candy wrappers bought innocently at newspaper stands. While this waste presents a serious and urgent environmental challenge, it also fuels an increasingly significant portion of the economy, with benefits extending beyond financial gains. - When we look at developed European countries, many are already recycling between 40% and 50%, with some reaching 60%. From an economic standpoint, both recyclable materials and organic waste hold tremendous value - stated Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary for Environment and Environmental Quality at the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), during the Methane Forum: Climate Emergency Brake, at the Rio Nature and Climate Week. Citing a 2025 report, Maluf mentioned that Brazil literally throws away R$27 billion annually, while municipalities spend significantly more - R$45 billion - managing all this waste, often overlooking the environmental impact or economic potential buried in landfills and dumps. - We spend R$45 billion to collect and dispose of waste in landfills, yet we manage to recycle less than a third of the potential. I believe it will be necessary to review contracts, create performance-based remuneration mechanisms, and pay for both effectively sorted materials and those diverted from landfills - he added. According to the IBGE, 60.5% of Brazilian municipalities adopt some form of selective waste collection, and several initiatives serve as examples of how to manage city waste. In his panel presentation, Bernardo Ornelas, Project Coordinator at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Urban Cleaning Company (Comlurb), highlighted Ecoparque do Caju, a national benchmark in waste management and recycling. There, received materials are sorted and can be used for biogas production, organic compounds for urban gardens, or human consumption, in the case of still...

Powered by WordPress | Designed by TieLabs | Customized by I2
© Copyright 2026, All Rights Reserved to Web-Resol