Asa Sul commercial becomes a model block in waste management

Now the Federal District (DF) has a commercial block considered zero waste. Better known as Rua dos Restaurantes, CLS 404/405 was recognized as a reference by the Urban Cleaning Service (SLU) in the management of waste generated in local commerce. The inauguration ceremony of the first zero waste commercial block took place this Wednesday (8) and was attended by vice-governor Celina Leão.

“It is a very innovative initiative that shows us that we are on the right path towards sustainability and environmental preservation. There must be adequate disposal of waste. With the new litter collectors, you will no longer have that dirty place, causing rat infestation; now it is a buried container”, said Celina Leão.

Through the Quadra Lixo Zero program, SLU installed six garbage collectors in CLS 404/405, at a total cost of R$342,000. Four of them will only receive recyclable materials and the other two will be places to store waste – materials that cannot be used for recycling. Every day, teams from the municipality will collect the waste stored in the bins.

Organic waste, such as food scraps, will be collected by composting companies hired by traders. This way, it will not be necessary to send these waste to the landfill. “It is a fundamental program that aims to achieve zero impact. Any initiative that minimizes randomly discarded waste is very welcome to relieve our landfill. What the SLU collects here will be destined for cooperatives”, explained the Secretary of Environment and Animal Protection, Gutemberg Gomes.

Zero Waste Court

The program, designed and managed by SLU, will improve waste management in South Local Commerce (CLS) of 404/405, and will later be evaluated for implementation in other commercial blocks in the DF. The resources for implementing the program came from a parliamentary amendment. Training and awareness-raising activities for employees and customers of restaurants and stores in CLS 404/405 are also planned.

“We are among the three cleanest cities in the country and our goal is to reach first place. This is a pilot project for the court, being the first zero waste, and our objective is for all of Brasília to join the program”, said the CEO of SLU, Silvio Vieira.

Conscious commerce

“The program will definitely make all the difference”, says businesswoman Maísa Porto, who has a store in the commercial

Manoel Leônidas, 53, has been a trader for over 30 years. He has had a pizzeria on Rua dos Restaurantes since 2008. For him, the block needed a program like this to better manage the waste generated by the stores.

“Traders came together to get the main demands from the community. One of them was the problem of rats, garbage and bad smells. With this SLU program, the demand we had here is beginning to be met. Now, the work is to raise awareness among the population and train employees to correctly separate waste,” said the businessman.

Businesswoman Maísa Porto, 60, also has a fashion store on the block. “My store has been around for 30 years. This initiative is a kickoff. The court is now a model for the entire world. It will look more beautiful for visitors who pass by. The program will definitely make all the difference,” she concluded.