Recycling in Brazil: Researcher warns of inactive urban waste sector and calls for transparency

Recycling and waste systems in Brazil are unlikely to reach regulatory targets despite recent infrastructure improvements, according to Tadeu Junior de Castro Gonçalves, researcher at the faculty of accounting, Federal Rural University of the Amazon. 

Brazil’s main recycling regulations are the National Solid Waste Plan (Planares) and the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS — Law No. 12.305/2010).

The PNRS establishes shared responsibility for the product life cycle and aims to eliminate open waste dumping by 2030. Planares, a planning instrument of the PNRS, sets the target of recovering 48.1% of urban solid waste by 2040 through recycling and composting, starting from a current rate of just 2.2%, according to Gonçalves. 

Packaging Insights speaks to Gonçalves about Brazil’s recycling infrastructure challenges. Gonçalves’s responses were reviewed by Alexandro Barbosa, an accounting professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, and Gonçalves’s research partner. 

What does Brazil’s current recycling infrastructure look like? 

Gonçalves: Recycling infrastructure in Brazil is in its initial stages, with recent advances in the formulation of public policies and regulations, driven by international agreements focused on sustainability goals. 

The country exhibits significant regional socio-economic inequalities. In the Northern region, where I reside, we still face challenges in implementing basic infrastructure for proper waste disposal, making recycling a long-term goal, which is further away compared to other regions. 

Gonçalves highlights that at-home recycling is not enough to help Brazil — more infrastructure is required.Conversely, municipalities in the South and Southeast stand out as positive examples, resulting from effective public policies and partnerships with the private sector, third-sector organizations, and cooperatives, the latter being essential. Nationally, the recycling infrastructure remains incipient and far from effective across the entire country. 

How are you expecting Brazil’s recycling infrastructure to change?

Gonçalves: Two recent publications from our research group indicate an almost stagnant trend in the efficiency and productivity of the urban solid waste sector in Brazil, with little variation in average performance over the past ten years. 

The expectation is that infrastructure will improve over the next five years, although likely not at a sufficient pace to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Considering the target set by the National Solid Waste Policy, it is likely that we will still be below the 50% mark in the coming years. 

What are the challenges to recycling in Brazil? 

Gonçalves: The recycling challenges in Brazil are structural and must be addressed from the level of key policymakers down to individual citizens, whether they live in major urban centers, mid-sized municipalities, or more remote communities. 

First, it is necessary to implement comprehensive national legislation that holds public managers accountable for meeting targets and defining clear indicators for recycling. This legislation should also include tax incentives and financial transfers, as many sector operators are neither economically nor operationally efficient, often struggling even to carry out conventional waste collection properly. 

Moreover, citizens must also be involved, as they are key agents in overcoming initial challenges. Where I live, it is common for residents to leave garbage bags on the street after the collection truck has already passed, which encourages the presence of animals that spread waste.

Disposing of waste in streets and rivers is still widespread, exposing the urgent need for a solid foundation in socio-environmental education that emphasizes the importance of regular and selective waste collection.

Finally, it is common to see institutions with bins for separating waste by material type, only for all contents to be discarded in the same place at the end of the day. This practice can be considered a case of greenwashing in selective waste collection.

In some towns residents leave garbage bags on the street after the collection truck has passed, says Gonçalves.What are some misconceptions about the country’s recycling services?

Gonçalves: The main misconception regarding recycling services is the lack of transparency about the effectiveness of these actions. The population needs to see and understand that solid waste can be recycled and reused. It is essential that citizens’ efforts — such as separating food packaging — are properly supported with the right destinations, so that these practices make sense and generate a positive impact. 

Recycling at home alone is not enough. For the system to function effectively, a specialized infrastructure is required. Currently, at the national level, recycling cooperatives play a fundamental role but cannot meet the demand or ensure the necessary scale on their own. 

How effective are recycling regulations in Brazil? 

Gonçalves: Planares also emphasizes the inclusion of waste picker cooperatives in waste management, strengthening the circular economy and promoting social justice. 

The regulations face many obstacles, such as low coverage of selective collection, lack of infrastructure, specific regulations, and unfavorable packaging-material taxation.

Although Planares projects help with important advances, the slow pace of its implementation and the lack of strong fiscal incentives present a significant challenge for the advancement of recycling in Brazil by 2025.

How can partnerships between municipalities and private sector companies improve recycling rates? 

Gonçalves: Public-private partnerships represent a relevant alternative for increasing the effectiveness of recycling in Brazil. The trend is that concession models for providing these services will become more common. In return, introducing new waste management fees is anticipated — something still uncommon in most municipalities, which may lead to resistance from certain population segments, especially in a context of high tax burdens. 

The private sector, particularly through recycling cooperatives, plays a significant role in this process and is, in some cases, responsible for a large portion of the activity.