SELECTIVE WASTE COLLECTION AND REVERSE LOGISTICS INITIATIVES IN PORTO ALEGRE AS BASIS FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Abstract

One of the strategies for waste reduction is control of discarded materials through collection, disassembly and processing so that it can return as input for industrial processes. With approval of federal law 12,305 in Brazil, manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers have become co-responsible for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products, thus incentivizing reverse logistics. In this context, this paper presents the current status of reverse logistics in the country and particularly in the city of Porto Alegre (considered a precursor in Brazil), and reverse logistics initiatives. Even more than 30 years after first introducing its selective waste collection system, the city still needs public awareness and education campaigns for citizens to generate less waste and correctly separate, dispose or return it to producers. Considering the fundamental importance for a circular economy approach, considerable investments in technology, education and waste management are needed so that the benefits of reverse logistics – such as reduced costs and extraction of raw materials, social and environmental responsibility – can be fully enjoyed in the country