Critical Analysis of Solid Waste Information Systems in Brazil

The comprehensiveness and reliability of information on the current management of urban solid waste in Brazil is a challenge to the objectives of scientific research. In the introduction to this article, the main information systems are appointed and their main limitations are briefly presented. ABRELPE's Panorama of Solid Waste in Brazil - as one of the main sources of information- was analyzed in detail regarding the statistical methodology used to determine its values. The results of this analysis revealed to be of low reliability in relation to the quantitative referring to the variables published on RSU - solid urban waste and RSS - health services waste. Either because there are no complete descriptions about the application of the method, as well as the evidence of inadequacies of the model developed with the adopted statistical method. The present work allowed us to conclude the importance of developing an independent national system for gathering information on the production, treatment and disposal of waste that effectively contributes to the search for solutions to the serious social, economic and environmental problem caused by solid urban waste and its poor management in general.