Brazil moves forward to eliminate its garbage dumps

Lixão Zero (Zero Dumps) is the main program of the Urban Environmental Agenda created by the Government of Brazil. Since 2019, more than 700 landfills have been closed in Brazil. The Government has also invested R$200 million in selective collection and mechanized sorting to expand recycling.

Another line of action is the reuse and recycling of waste for energy generation. In September 2021, th Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of the Environment held the first energy auction from solid waste, with investments of more than R$ 500 million.

Brazil is also investing in the Reverse Logistics System to increases the reuse and adequate disposal of electro-electronic waste, lead batteries, medicines, aluminum cans, lubricating oil, pesticide packaging and other items that contain potentially harmful materials.

Between 2019 and 2020, 470 tons of electro-electronics were collected. These are items that are no longer discarded in the environment, causing soil and water pollution. The ministry's goal is to reach five thousand collection points by 2025.

Three thousand points for the disposal of medicines, as well as systems for the collection of lead batteries, aluminum cans, and pesticide packaging have also been installed. More than 275,000 tons of batteries were collected, allowing for the recycling of 144,000 tons of lead.