IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i8p3359-d1377258.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Opportunities and Barriers to Composting in a Municipal Context: A Case Study in São José dos Campos, Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Vanessa Rodrigues Pereira

    (Environmental Engineering Department, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University, São José dos Campos 12247-016, Brazil)

  • Fabiana Alves Fiore

    (Environmental Engineering Department, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University, São José dos Campos 12247-016, Brazil)

Abstract

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a global challenge of a complex nature. The organic fraction of rapidly degrading MSW, which can be recycled via composting provided it is segregated at the source, is an incipient or non-existent practice in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the barriers and opportunities for composting MSW based on the perception of local stakeholders through a qualitative and quantitative exploratory case study in the municipality of São José dos Campos (SP). The study identified and interviewed local stakeholders engaged in composting in the territory, surveying the local market for organic agricultural inputs. Education, infrastructure, and social influence were the main factors that led to the decision to start composting. For home composting, the efficiency of generated waste diversion is from 42% to 59%, and management difficulties at the beginning of the practice are recurrent. Engaging people is the main challenge of community initiatives and 32% ended their composting activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Vermicomposting can be an opportunity to value organic waste in the local market. The insights gleaned from the perceptions of local stakeholders provide valuable input for more effective planning within a municipal composting scheme.

Suggested Citation

  • Vanessa Rodrigues Pereira & Fabiana Alves Fiore, 2024. "Opportunities and Barriers to Composting in a Municipal Context: A Case Study in São José dos Campos, Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-25, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3359-:d:1377258
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3359/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3359/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. José María Fernández-González & Carmen Díaz-López & Jaime Martín-Pascual & Montserrat Zamorano, 2020. "Recycling Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Jouhara, H. & Czajczyńska, D. & Ghazal, H. & Krzyżyńska, R. & Anguilano, L. & Reynolds, A.J. & Spencer, N., 2017. "Municipal waste management systems for domestic use," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 485-506.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonio Jacintos Nieves & Gian Carlo Delgado Ramos, 2023. "Advancing the Application of a Multidimensional Sustainable Urban Waste Management Model in a Circular Economy in Mexico City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Nicole Meinusch & Susanne Kramer & Oliver Körner & Jürgen Wiese & Ingolf Seick & Anita Beblek & Regine Berges & Bernhard Illenberger & Marco Illenberger & Jennifer Uebbing & Maximilian Wolf & Gunter S, 2021. "Integrated Cycles for Urban Biomass as a Strategy to Promote a CO 2 -Neutral Society—A Feasibility Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Sanjay RODE, 2020. "Population Growth And Bottlenecks In Provision Of Qualitative Public Infrastructure Services In Thane Municipal Corporation," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 10(4), pages 94-115, December.
    4. Michele Bertone & Luca Stabile & Giorgio Buonanno, 2024. "An Overview of Waste-to-Energy Incineration Integrated with Carbon Capture Utilization or Storage Retrofit Application," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Gabriella Esposito De Vita & Cristina Visconti & Gantuya Ganbat & Marina Rigillo, 2023. "A Collaborative Approach for Triggering Environmental Awareness: The 3Rs for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Ulaanbaatar (3R4UB)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-24, September.
    6. Wajahat Ullah Khan Tareen & Zuha Anjum & Nabila Yasin & Leenah Siddiqui & Ifzana Farhat & Suheel Abdullah Malik & Saad Mekhilef & Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian & Ben Horan & Mohamed Darwish & Muhammad Aamir &, 2018. "The Prospective Non-Conventional Alternate and Renewable Energy Sources in Pakistan—A Focus on Biomass Energy for Power Generation, Transportation, and Industrial Fuel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-49, September.
    7. Zewdu Abebe Tessfaw & Abebe Beyene & Amsalu Nebiyu & Krzysztof Pikoń & Marcin Landrat, 2020. "Co-Composting of Khat-Derived Biochar with Municipal Solid Waste: A Sustainable Practice of Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Gómez Camacho, Carlos E. & Romano, Francesco I. & Ruggeri, Bernardo, 2018. "Macro approach analysis of dark biohydrogen production in the presence of zero valent powered Fe°," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 525-533.
    9. Anna Gronba-Chyła & Agnieszka Generowicz & Paweł Kwaśnicki & Anna Kochanek, 2025. "Recovery and Recycling of Selected Waste Fractions with a Grain Size Below 10 mm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Adamu, Haruna & Bello, Usman & Yuguda, Abubakar Umar & Tafida, Usman Ibrahim & Jalam, Abdullahi Mohammad & Sabo, Ahmed & Qamar, Mohammad, 2023. "Production processes, techno-economic and policy challenges of bioenergy production from fruit and vegetable wastes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    11. Hridoy Roy & Samiha Raisa Alam & Rayhan Bin-Masud & Tonima Rahman Prantika & Md. Nahid Pervez & Md. Shahinoor Islam & Vincenzo Naddeo, 2022. "A Review on Characteristics, Techniques, and Waste-to-Energy Aspects of Municipal Solid Waste Management: Bangladesh Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-25, August.
    12. Woon, Kok Sin & Phuang, Zhen Xin & Lin, Zuchao & Lee, Chew Tin, 2021. "A novel food waste management framework combining optical sorting system and anaerobic digestion: A case study in Malaysia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    13. Kuncowati & Daryanto & Prasita Viv Djanat & Muammar, 2024. "Maritime Safety in Waste Management: Analyzing Risk of Occupational Accidents during Waste Incineration on Vessels," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 15(1), pages 109-120.
    14. Spyridoula Gerassimidou & Manoj Dora & Eleni Iacovidou, 2022. "A Tool for the Selection of Food Waste Management Approaches for the Hospitality and Food Service Sector in the UK," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-27, September.
    15. Robert Sidełko, 2021. "Application of Technological Processes to Create a Unitary Model for Energy Recovery from Municipal Waste," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    16. Agus Ganda Permana & Jangkung Raharjo, 2023. "Integrated Waste Management System with IOT-Based Centralized Control towards a Smart Eco Campus-Telkom University," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(2), pages 322-333, March.
    17. Russo, Sofia & Verda, Vittorio, 2020. "Exergoeconomic analysis of a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in an Integrated Solid Waste Management system including uncertainties," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    18. Alejandro Carbonell-Alcocer & Juan Romero-Luis & Manuel Gertrudix, 2021. "A Methodological Assessment Based on a Systematic Review of Circular Economy and Bioenergy Addressed by Education and Communication," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-37, April.
    19. Marcello Ádamis Andrade & Risete Maria Queiroz Leão Braga & Antônio de Noronha Tavares & Rui Cunha Marques, 2025. "The Use of Indicators in the Regulation of Municipal Solid Waste Management: A Bibliometric Analysis (2004–2024)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-19, February.
    20. Marzena Smol & Joanna Duda & Agnieszka Czaplicka-Kotas & Dominika Szołdrowska, 2020. "Transformation towards Circular Economy (CE) in Municipal Waste Management System: Model Solutions for Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-25, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3359-:d:1377258. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.