LAND, ENVIRONMENT (waste disposal)

The management and recycling of solid waste and
sewage is a growing problem in most urban areas
because of concerns related to both public health
and environmental damage.
The effectiveness of waste disposal initiatives can
be improved through the incorporation of an
understanding of gender differences and
inequalities. Waste disposal projects can also
provide support to women (especially if they are
responsible for waste disposal) and ease their
overall work burden through improved family
health. Waste disposal initiatives can also contribute
to gender equality through offering opportunities for
women’s increased employment.
Gender differences and inequalities can affect
various aspects of waste disposal:
§ Household responsibilities relating to waste
and waste disposal. Given women’s primary
responsibility for cleaning, food preparation,
family health, laundry, and domestic
maintenance, women and men may view
domestic waste and its disposal differently.
They may have different definitions of what is
waste or garbage. They may also manage waste
differently and put different priorities on its
disposal.

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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...