Disposal of solid waste in a community in the backlands of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil): what do its residents think?

Abstract

Despite the Federal Government's efforts directed towards improving solid waste management nationwide, Brazil still stands out negatively in terms of how it handles its waste. It is logical that the public sector's lethargy in developing actions to reverse this scenario is one of the main culprits. However, in general, if the population does not recognize itself as an integral part of the problem, the tendency is for few changes to occur. In this context, we sought to understand how the residents of a rural community in Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) perceived issues related to Environmental Education and the treatment and disposal of their solid waste. Our results indicated satisfactory knowledge of the residents regarding the studied aspects; however, such notions did not necessarily translate into practical actions that could improve the waste-related conditions in the Community.