Analysis and financial sustainability of municipal solid waste management in Belo Horizonte (Brazil)

In a Brazilian context of poor municipal solid waste (MSW) management and lack of information, this paper intends to study the MSW management in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) through the analysis of the 15 'diagnosis of the management of urban solid waste', from 2002 to 2016, as well as interviews with professionals who work in the provision of municipal services. As a result, it was observed that since 2002, there has been a real gradual increase in per capita expenditure and income of 58% and 68%, respectively. The financial self-sufficiency showed variations, however, with an increase of three percentage points, while there was a decrease of two percentage points in the incidence of MSW expenses in the city. Furthermore, Brazilian legal limitations impede total financial self-sufficiency with public cleansing, so the municipality must seek alternatives to improve its management of MSW, such as a more elaborate charging system.