Uma análise do destino dos resíduos sólidos em áreas rurais do Brasil

Abstract

Inadequate solid waste management in rural areas constitutes a socio-environmental problem in Brazil, aggravated by population dispersion, lack of infrastructure, and regional inequalities. Practices such as open burning and dumping in vacant lots predominate in these locations, generating negative impacts on public health, environmental contamination, and contributing to the climate crisis. Although the country has a regulatory framework, such as the National Solid Waste Policy (Law No. 12.305/2010), its implementation is heterogeneous, with low rates of collection and recycling coverage in rural areas. Given this scenario, this work analyzes how socioeconomic variables influence the disposal practices of household solid waste in Brazilian rural areas. To this end, the objectives are: i) to identify the main forms of solid waste disposal in rural areas; ii) to analyze the socioeconomic variables that affect these disposal methods in rural areas; iii) To analyze, using a multinomial logit model, the influence of socioeconomic variables on solid waste disposal in rural areas. The methodology was based on a descriptive analysis of data from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) from 2014 to 2022, data from the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNADC) of 2023, and the estimation of the multinomial logit model with PNADC data. The main results reveal inequality in access to waste collection: 93.33% of urban households have direct collection, compared to only 32.81% in rural areas, where burning predominates (52.31%). Regional disparities are also evident: in the North region, 77.59% of households burn waste, while in the South region, collection reaches 53.62%. Households with lower income and education levels, as well as brown and black individuals, show a greater association with inadequate practices. Data from SNIS (2014-2022) show slow progress and still inadequate final disposal, reinforcing the need for public policies aimed at sustainable management in rural areas. Regarding the results of the multinomial logit model, it was observed that burning waste is more common among men, individuals with low income and low education levels, the elderly, and individuals living in the North and Central-West regions. Direct collection or collection in dumpsters increases with income and education, being more frequent among white individuals, women, and residents of the South region. Inadequate practices (burying, dumping, or other disposal) predominate in regions with less infrastructure.