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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the generation of urban solid waste in the municipality of Limeira, São Paulo

ABSTRACT

Social distancing measures derived from the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the consumption habits of citizens and, consequently, the quantity and composition of urban solid waste, with new challenges for Brazilian municipalities. In this context, the present research aimed to carry out a comparative analysis, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, of the generation of solid household waste, health services, selective collection, and bulky waste in Limeira, São Paulo, considering a time series from January 2016 to December 2020. To analyze the change in the amount of solid waste collected in the municipality due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Generalized Mixed Linear Models were adjusted, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed to examine the trend of the series. The increase in the collection of waste from health services from April 2020 was evident, with a positive relationship between the number of reported cases of COVID-19 and the generation of this waste. There was a reduction in waste from selective collection during all months of 2020 compared to previous years. Household waste showed no difference in generation in the months with and without COVID-19, while selective collection waste and bulky waste showed a reduction in generation in the months with COVID-19. The survey results are relevant as support for the contingency plan for solid waste management in pandemic situations in Limeira and for municipalities with similar characteristics.

Keywords:
household waste; health care waste; waste from selective collection; bulky waste; Sars-CoV-2

Associação Brasileira de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental - ABES Av. Beira Mar, 216 - 13º Andar - Castelo, 20021-060 Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: esa@abes-dn.org.br