Impact of reduction measures on household solid waste generation: a case study in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil

Abstract

The increasing generation of waste has been impacting the environment and public health. In this context, this research aimed to analyze the variation in the per capita Household Solid Waste (HSW) generation in João Pessoa (Brazil) after implementing minimization measures and to identify which of those measures most contributed to the mentioned reduction. The per capita HSW generation of four residential condominiums (A, B, C, and D) was analyzed in two distinct periods: before (period I) and after (period II) the implementation of environmental education on minimization measures. The per capita HSW generation ranged from 0.485 to 0.528 kg.inhab⁻¹.day⁻¹ in period I and from 0.396 to 0.532 kg.inhab⁻¹.day⁻¹ in period II. Comparative analysis of C and D datasets for periods I and II showed a decrease in the per capita HSW generation of 16%. No significant reductions were observed in condominiums A and B, the control group. It was observed that avoiding the use of packaging and wastage and donating/selling objects that are no longer needed were the actions most adopted by the residents. Thus, it was possible to attribute the reduction of HSW to the minimization measures implemented in the condominiums.