Polluter-Pays Principle Applied to Construction and Demolition Debris

Abstract

The research focused on the analysis of construction and demolition debris in a sample Brazilian city with the objective to propose a management scheme tailored to private initiative intervention. The debris was found to be produced at a rate of 1.55 kg per person per day for a total of 5177 tons per month. The composition report showed 75% material reusable for construction purposes, 15% material recyclable through reverse logistics and 10% refuse to be disposed of at landfills. The study developed legal and managerial instruments that stimulate private operators to achieve landfill diversions in the order of 90% of this waste. The arguments were supported by a flow diagram that indicates the correct destination of all waste items and an economic balance of private waste movement. Proactive legal scriptures were sketched out that can assist the local administration in setting the timeframe for reaching the diversion target