Diagnóstico dos impactos da geração de resíduos sólidos durante a pandemia de covid-19 na cidade de São José da Lagoa Tapada-PB.

Abstract

As the urban cleaning service is an essential activity that was not suspended / interrupted during the pandemic period, protective measures were intensified to ensure the health of the collectors. Thus, the present work aims to perform a diagnosis of the impacts of the generation and disposal of solid waste during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic in the city of São José da Lagoa Tapada-PB. The research has exploratory characteristics in which the data were collected through questionnaires by sampling method with employees of the cleaning service of the city. The results reveal that the cleaning service occurs in the urban area and the waste collected in that city undergoes a separation process by the association RECICLA São José, where the recyclable materials are selected and sold, the non-recyclable are directed to a landfill in the city of Sousa-PB. Regarding the employees' health, all of them received orientation for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). It is worth mentioning that after a few months of the pandemic, the pace dedicated to compliance with the orientations decreased. However, the impacts observed during the pandemic by the informants themselves was a greater contamination in the streets, and an increase in the amount of waste collected, besides the large presence of masks, gloves, and medicine packaging. On the other hand, the destination of this waste occurs in an adequate way. Regarding the socio-environmental impacts, the RECICLA São José association contributes significantly both to the environment and to the families that depend on the income derived from the activity. The negative aspect, on the other hand, refers to the informants who presented a positive picture for covid-19. Key-words: Recycling. Collectors. Urban cleaning. Environmental impacts