Gestão de Resíduos Sólidos e Trabalho Informal: a experiência do município de Francisco Beltrão (Paraná) ## Solid Waste Management and Informal Work: the experience of the municipality of Francisco Beltrão (Paraná, Brazil)

Este trabalho de abordagem qualitativa, buscou conhecer a trajetória de vida de agentes ambientais e a importância atribuída por eles à atividade de catador de material reciclável, bem como conhecer as experiências do município de Francisco Beltrão-PR em atividades relacionadas ao tratamento de resíduos sólidos. Foram entrevistados três trabalhadores informais que atuam na coleta de materiais recicláveis, mediante termo de consentimento com a pesquisa. E, para compreender a concepção que subsidia as ações do poder público municipal, foi entrevistado o diretor da Secretaria Municipal do Meio Ambiente. Dentre os resultados das entrevistas com os catadores, destaca-se que a catação de material reciclável se torna alternativa na falta de qualificação para o mercado de trabalho. Estes trabalhadores são frequentemente submetidos a situações de risco à saúde e rotina diária exaustiva realizada em condições precárias, corroborando com a entrevista realizada com o diretor da Secretaria Municipal do Meio Ambiente. Os resultados da pesquisa podem contribuir no reconhecimento do trabalho exercido pelos agentes ambientais e/ou catadores de material reciclável como relevante para a sociedade. ABSTRACTThis qualitative approach work searched to know the life trajectory of environmental agents and the importance assigned by them to the activity of collecting recyclable material, and to know the experiences lived by the city of Francisco Beltrão activities related to solid waste treatment. Three informal workers that act in collecting recyclable material were interviewed, through permission form about the research. And, to understand the conception that subsidizes the actions of the municipal government, the director of Environmental Municipal Secretary was interviewed. Among the collectors’ interviews results, it is noteworthy that collecting recyclable material becomes an alternative in the absence of enough qualification to the labor market. These workers are frequently subjected on health risks situations and an exhaustive routine performed in precarious conditions, corroborating the interview conducted with the Environment Municipal Secretary director. The research results can contribute to the environmental agents and/or recyclable material collectors works recognition as relevant to the society.

Composting of fine fraction after mechanical-biological treatment of municipal solid waste

One of most common types of municipal solid waste treatment is mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), which in practice has many variations depending on the method of conducting the technological process and it is possible to get different output fractions. In this paper is analysed waste generated after the MBT with biodrying, where waste after mechanical treatment undergoes process of biodrying, and then is RDF (recovery derived fuel) separated. Fine fraction remains with a high content of organic matter that without additional processing cannot be disposed of on a landfill. The aim of this research was to determine the possibility of fine fraction composting in different conditions – in the open, in the open and covered area, and indoors. In each area are formed three compost piles: 100% fine fraction (KH1, KH4, and KH7), 70% fine fraction and 30% wood chips (KH2, KH5, and KH8), 50% fine fraction and 50% wood chips (KH3, KH6, and KH9). Moisture content, temperature and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were monitored. Results show that after 13 weeks samples KH1, KH4, and KH7 (100% content of fine fractions) did not achieve DOC value less than 3 000 mg/l. The most effective composting in terms of reducing the DOC is achieved in samples KH3, KH6, KH9. Based on results obtained, it can be concluded that by adding wood chips in fine fraction in ratio 50:50, the most effective and fastest reduction of organic matter is achieved in the analysed samples.

Study on Mechanical Properties of Recycled Mixture with High Content of Iron Tailings Sand

This paper focuses on the disposal of iron tailings sand (ITS) and reclaimed inorganic binder stabilized aggregate (RAI), and a new “ITS plus RAI” solid waste treatment method is innovatively proposed, which uses ITS and RAI as a new base course material to replace of new aggregates by 100%. It is found that the new ITS and RAI mixture has excellent compressive performance by designing the material composition of the mixture, which can meet the design strength of different levels of pavement under various load conditions. A series of laboratory tests are used to study the effect of the content of special cementitious material and iron tailings on the uniaxial compressive strength, flexural-tensile strength, compressive resilience modulus, and flexural-tensile resilience modulus of recycled mixture. And, the scanning electron microscope test (SEM) and X-ray diffraction test (XRD) are used to compare the surface morphology characteristics and hydration products of the recycled mixture under different ratios and to discuss the formation mechanism of the strength of the mixture. The test results show that the macroscopic change pattern in laboratory tests is basically consistent with the results in microanalysis. The relationship between compressive strength and compressive resilience modulus and flexural resilience modulus is also established by linear regression. This solid waste treatment method is applied to the pavement renovation project of national and provincial roads in Shanxi Province (within Linfen), to replace the existing base material by using recycled mixture, and the results show that it can save not only the carbon emission from stone mining and processing but also the construction cost, while producing good social and economic benefits and promoting the process of carbon neutralization in the world.