About two months after the biggest flood in the history of Rio Grande do Sul, the waters have already receded, the rivers have returned to their beds, houses, buildings and businesses have been cleaned, people and society are trying to return to their old routine, but one of the problems caused by rain can still be seen on the streets and has a strong impact on cities in Rio Grande do Sul.

What to do with all the trash generated after the floods?

Many cities still deal with several points of rubbish and garbage in the streets, waiting for correct collection and disposal. Most of them are leftover furniture, wood, construction waste, clothing, paper, plastics, metals and glass. Everything mixed and contaminated by the sludge that came with the water from rivers and sewage.

But this waste presents risks to the population, not only urban mobility is compromised, but the health of residents is also at risk. 

After floods, contaminated waste poses significant health risks. Water accumulated in concave surfaces and trash favor the proliferation of disease-transmitting animals, such as Aedes aegypti, responsible for arboviruses such as dengue, zika and chikungunya. Furthermore, water contaminated by garbage, dirt and sewage carries diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, diarrhea and leptospirosis.

Waste management requires a series of steps, such as:

1. Emergency collection: aims to free up urban and rural roads and collect as much waste as possible discarded by residents after cleaning homes and businesses. Few municipalities were prepared for the initial phase of collecting garbage generated by floods.
2. Transshipment or dumping: places where collected waste is temporarily stored until final destination. The waiting time for materials in the transshipment area must be as short as possible to avoid the proliferation of animals.
3. Final destination: waste is sent to landfills as its final destination, thus having an appropriate disposal according to the risks and origin of the materials. Although part of the waste collected can be recycled, such as metals, plastics and glass, the majority is being disposed of as waste, as the management of contaminated materials requires training, PPE and specialized labor.

Some cities in Rio Grande do Sul still face challenges related to the collection and disposal of flood waste. Few companies qualified to collect materials, excessively large transshipment areas, long waiting times for collection and final disposal of waste.

Authorities are working to deal with flood waste, but it is a challenging process that requires solutions adapted to the circumstances. The volume of waste generated is often greater than that collected in weeks or months by municipalities and the waste management system is operating on an emergency basis. 

Just as adaptation and resilience works to climate change must be considered in cities to deal with climate extremes, contingency plans for the generation and collection of waste must be included in scenarios to combat climate change.

References:

The health dangers of floods – Signs, Symptoms and Diseases > AbcMed

Rubble, temporary dumps and fear of contamination: after tragedy, Porto Alegre still suffers from waste | Rio Grande do Sul | G1 (globo.com)

What to do; What is the fate of the rubble in Rio Grande do Sul? (uol.com.br)

Care after floods: experts advise on cleaning the house and what to do with furniture and utensils | Fantastic | G1 (globo.com)

What are the health risks of walking in floods and floods? (olhardigital.com.br)