Brazilian public policy on solid waste and current challenges for its effectiveness

Abstract

This article presents the challenges faced by collectors of recyclable materials after the closure of the biggest dump of Gramacho in Latin America, precisely in Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Baixada Fluminense. The study had as a reference, to identify the extent to which the public policies were presented as one of the roads for survival of these workers who worked in the dump, and after thirty years ofactivity, would no longer have a place in which to search for their livelihood and family. We also considered the sub-neighborhood in which it was installed, considering that the active economic life revolved around the complementary activities to the process of harvesting, besides the damages suffered by the very nature of the activity. In order to understand the facts, the study was supported by documentary research, participant observation and also a semi-structured interview in order to listen to the subjects involved, with the purpose of weighing losses and gains made possible by the governmental support anchored by Law 12,305 / 2010 - National Policy of Solid Waste (PNRS), as well as the benefits of the Social Assistance Policy-.