The Prospect of Municipal Waste Landfill Diversion Depends on Geographical Location

Abstract

This study reports on experimentation with municipal and industrial solid waste in Brazil, on mutual inspection of municipal sanitation models in selected Spanish and Brazilian towns, and on observations of municipal solid waste (MSW) management models effective in Argentina, Great Britain, Sweden, and Germany. The diversity of management strategies inhibits technology transfer. Judging by the models inspected, Sweden and Germany appear to be best prepared for stricter European landfill diversion targets in the near future. Experimentation in Brazil has resulted in a proactive MSW management model based on divided collection, which achieves 80 percent landfill diversion. This result, surprisingly, meets and exceeds European diversion targets in a South American context. As the gap in strategy and target narrows between South America and Europe, both technology and management methods may gain intercontinental mobility and thus enhance commercial ties between the two markets in the specific branch of MSW management.