Municipalities Miss Deadline to End Landfills, and Brazil Still Has Over 1,500
These places receive 33 million tons, generating pollution, diseases, and greenhouse gases
Eradicating landfills from the country was the goal set by Brazilian legislation for this Friday (2nd), a date on which there still exist, however, 1,572 landfills and almost 600 controlled dumps — placing cities that dispose of urban solid waste in these locations in conflict with the law. The situation is more severe in municipalities in the North, Center-West, and Northeast regions.
This is an issue from the last century, since the final disposal of waste "under conditions that do not bring inconvenience to health and public well-being" was provided for in law 1,230 of 1954.
In its 21st-century version, the now expired deadline is an extension of the limit set by the National Solid Waste Policy of 2010, which foresaw the end of all landfills by 2024 and the consequent proper disposal of urban solid waste.
Even so, these places were the destination of about 33 million tons of waste in 2022, or 43% of the garbage generated that year, according to the Brazilian Association of Waste and Environment.