Gravimetric composition of the rejects coming from the segregation process of the municipal recyclable wastes

Rejects from selective collection are municipal solid waste (MSW) not used for recycling and are, therefore, destined for the landfill in Brazil. Knowledge of the composition and generation of this waste is important for strategically planning public policies that minimize its generation and its negative environmental impacts. However, this portion of MSW is not very well known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the rejects from the sorting process of the selective waste collection in the municipality of Blumenau, in the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. The studied rejects came from the largest cooperative in the city, and its composition was sorted into 17 categories of 101 samples over the course of one year, with a total of 3893 kg of analyzed rejects. The waste collected by the selective collection of the municipality was evaluated monthly to determine which part of this quantity became rejects and to determine the composition and seasonality of these rejects. The study found that 30.5% of the waste sorted by the cooperative was rejected. Among these rejects, the presence of materials that could be marketed by the cooperative was verified. Hazardous and/or legally prohibited waste were also identified, as were organics, construction and demolition waste, health care waste, electronics, textiles, footwear, batteries, and bulbs. Seasonal analysis indicated a concerning constant generation of health care waste. Aside from that, there was an increase in the generation of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) during the Christmas period, when a large part of the population discards their EEE. This information is important for the enforcement of the MSW management structure as well as for educational campaigns aimed at the correct separation of waste that should be sent for selective collection.