The intensification of the global warming process has caused climate changes that directly impact not only the well-being of the population and the environment, but also the performance of various sectors of the economy, such as energy generation, agriculture, tourism, etc.​

 

This phenomenon has been caused by increasing emissions of different gases into the atmosphere, especially methane gas (CH4), one of the main causes of aggravating the greenhouse effect, which causes an increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere and oceans. As it is practically impossible to control methane emissions from natural sources (volcanic eruptions, swamps, melting of polar ice caps, etc.), efforts and investments have been made, at a global level, to control methane emissions in the most diverse sectors of the economy.​

 

As a result, the most different sectors of the economy are reviewing their production models, adapting processes and adopting technologies to reduce GHG emissions, in order to curb climate change, seeking to prevent it from intensifying even further, which could reach a point of “no return”, which would cause increasing losses not only from an economic point of view, but also for the quality of life of all living beings.​

 

Large GHG emissions occur during public cleaning and urban waste management services, services that are essential to ensure the proper functioning of urban infrastructure as they prevent soil, water and air pollution, in addition to minimizing public health problems, that is, they are fundamental to guarantee the quality of life of the population living in cities and the preservation of the environment.​

 

In addition to the climate crisis, there is the current growing demand for energy and global geopolitical instability that has directly affected the supply of fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers, forcing countries to adapt their supply chains in search of new energy sources and reducing the use of external inputs, using renewable sources whenever possible, which also allows increasing the sustainability of production cycles.​

 

Waste generated in urban areas is an inexhaustible source of resources, which can (and should) be explored within the urban perimeter using viable and sustainable technologies that allow the valorization of different fractions (recyclable, organic and waste) without impacts on the neighborhood or the environment, thus allowing materials to be recovered on an industrial scale and generating renewable energy in a safe and efficient way.​

 

A large part of the population that generates urban waste is also potential consumers of recycled products that can be produced in these recycling industries. They all live within the urban perimeter, as do the recyclable collectors who, for generations, have survived by collecting recyclables in completely unsanitary conditions.​

 

Therefore, it is essential that, whenever possible, waste treatment industries are located within the urban perimeter and have the participation of collector cooperatives in the industrial process, which guarantees greater safety and productivity in sorting activities, and makes it possible to solve one of the biggest problems still existing in Brazil, that of social inequality.​

 

In the flowchart below it is possible to verify existing technological routes, which involve different urban waste treatment units that are complementary, and allow each fraction of unsorted waste to be valued and allow materials to be recovered on an industrial scale and the generation of renewable energy.