Waste treatment in Brazil

To better understand Brazil’s circularity potential, it is important to examine where materials end up after use: whether they are recovered and reintegrated into the economy or lost through disposal. High-quality treatment methods, such as recycling, composting, or energy recovery, help preserve material value and reduce reliance on virgin resource extraction. In contrast, poor treatment practices, such as landfilling and incineration, reinforce a linear system and contribute to pollution and emissions. Waste treatment is therefore critical for identifying opportunities to extract greater value from materials in Brazil and for promoting more circular material use. [93]

Waste treatment is central to advancing circularity by minimising environmental harm, recovering value, and reducing disposal. In Brazil, waste management and treatment is framed by the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS)—a landmark federal law that sets a comprehensive legal foundation for waste management. [94] The PNRS establishes a waste hierarchy, introduces Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and reverse logistics systems, mandates municipal waste plans as funding prerequisites, promotes the integration of informal waste pickers, and emphasises shared responsibility across sectors.

Brazil’s formal waste system is highly decentralised: all solid waste management services—collection, sweeping, treatment, disposal, and processing—fall under the responsibility of municipal governments [98], which results in varied implementation capacities across the country.