The Federal District has 622 garbage collectors and 23 rubbish collectors available to the population. Managed by the Urban Cleaning Service (SLU), the equipment is designed to facilitate the correct disposal of waste, contributing to the preservation of the environment and the cleanliness of cities. Between January and March of this year, 10,425 tons of waste were collected in garbage collectors and rubbish collectors, while in 2023 the total collected reached 31,029.56 tons.
The deputy director of Urban Management and Cleaning at SLU, Andreia Almeida, highlights that citizens must use spaces appropriately, respecting the types of waste that can be sent to each location. “Solid waste management is shared and is the responsibility of everyone, public authorities and citizens. Separate the waste and place it on the correct days and times. Use the equipment as directed. There’s no point in SLU putting all this equipment on the streets if citizens don’t do their part too”, she highlights.
Present in all administrative regions, SLU also counts the total waste collected in selective collection and conventional collection. The first reached the mark of 53 thousand tons collected in 2023 and 12,360 tons in 2024. In conventional collection, 710,679.23 thousand tons of garbage were collected in 2023 and 187,572 tons between January and March 2024.
Trashcatcher
Waste bins are semi-buried containers prepared to receive waste from conventional collection, that is, everything that is not suitable for recycling or reuse, such as used diapers, toilet waste and organic waste. The other part of the waste must be sent to selective collection, such as paper, plastic and cardboard, which occurs according to the calendar and times established by the SLU. Check it out here.
The Government of the Federal District (GDF) has delivered 521 pieces of equipment of this type since 2019, more than 83% of the existing total. The new dust collectors cost an average of R$50,000 and are made from flame-retardant material, in order to prevent accidents and curb vandalism.
Trash bins are semi-buried containers prepared to receive waste from conventional collection, that is, everything that cannot be recycled or reused, such as used diapers, toilet waste and organic waste.
Waste must be bagged and deposited inside the equipment. Each one has a capacity for around 5 cubic meters of waste. “We have a very serious problem with people who throw their rubbish to the outside of the bin or simply put it on the side. The right thing to do is open the lid and throw the bags. The dustbin is spacious and serves that purpose”, warns Andreia. Waste is collected daily by lifting, without any employee coming into contact with the discarded material.
You can find the nearest litter picker to your home on this website, developed by SLU. Just enter the address in the textual search bar and proceed with the search; or enter the location directly on the map, dragging the cursor with the left mouse button pressed.
rubble picker
Regarding rubbish disposal, of the 23 in operation, 14 were opened as of 2019. Also known as Voluntary Delivery Points (PEVs), the spaces are located in 15 administrative regions: Águas Claras, Asa Sul, Brazlândia (2 ), Ceilândia (3), Gama (2), Guará (2), Paranoá, Planaltina, Recanto das Emas, Santa Maria (2), São Sebastião (2), Sobradinho (2), Sobradinho II, Taguatinga and Samambaia.
According to the deputy director, the idea is to build 20 more spaces to further facilitate the proper disposal of rubble and construction waste. “We work in groups of five. So, for the next five new pieces of equipment, we already have a study of the site, which shows the need for waste removal for the preservation of the city, and authorization from the competent bodies”, she explains.
The new dust collectors cost an average of R$50,000 and are made from flame-retardant material, in order to avoid accidents and curb vandalism.
The rubbish collectors operate from Monday to Saturday, from 7am to 6pm, and receive up to one cubic meter per discharge. They are the appropriate destination for construction waste, old furniture and other bulky furniture (except electronics), pruning remains, recyclable material and used cooking oil (packaged in plastic bottles).
The entry of loads of waste into trucks is not permitted and waste from health services, electronic, organic and industrial waste is not received. If waste production exceeds the daily limit, disposal must be carried out by a company accredited by the SLU.
“Did you do a small job and don’t want to hire a dumpster? You can dispose of the remains in the rubbish bin”, she emphasizes. “If it is a larger project, we recommend that people go to the SLU website and see the registered companies that carry out correct disposal and issue the CTR, which is the waste transport control and means that the company took the waste and disposed of it in the correct place, without harm to the environment”.
The recyclables are sent to collectors’ associations and the furniture that can still be used is donated to registered charities.
To check where the nearest rubbish collector is, visit this website.
Cleanest city
In the South Commercial Sector (SCS), the new waste collectors were delivered in December 2023, along with the renovation of blocks 3, 4 and 5. Since then, the structures have been used daily by trader Sidney Martins, 52 years old, who maintains a pastry shop in the region for more than three decades.
“Every day there is rubbish to throw away. Before, we placed the bags on the street for trucks to pick up, but the trash ended up forming mountains, causing bad smells and even the appearance of rats,” she recalls. Now, the waste is isolated, away from pedestrian traffic. “At the end of the day, an employee throws the leftover food there and that’s it, everything is in the right place. It’s much more pleasant here, it’s another life”, adds Sidney.
The person who also uses waste collectors is merchant Carlos Henrique Rodrigues, 39. Having run a tobacco shop for seven years, he says that he separates the waste: the dry waste is left at the door of the establishment, to be picked up by the street cleaners, and the organic goes to the garbage collector.
“It was one of the best things they did here. It reduced the proliferation of rats and removed garbage bags with leftover food from the street. These were torn up by dogs and even rats”, says Carlos. “The sector became more organized, only recyclable things were exposed, such as cardboard and plastic.”
With information from Agência Brasília
Tags: Trash collectors rubbish collectors collected tons waste year
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