REUSE OF WET ORGANIC WASTE: PATHWAYS TO A DOMESTIC CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Abstract

Each day, tons of food residues are discarded inadequately, adding up to the amount of waste in landfills, soil and water contamination, emission of greenhouse gases and insufficient use of highly reusable organic matter. This study has as its goal to evaluate the way consumers from Federal District/Brazil discard their organic residues, as well as to spread more information about different ways those can be utilized. In the means to understand the potentiality of residue utilization, a bibliographic research was conducted using scientific, technical and social sources. Also, online surveys were sent out to evaluate how consumers approach organic residues in their residences in terms of: frequency of discard, food discard, responsibilities, knowledge, perception and behavior. The majority of the survey participants were between ages 18 and 30 years old (71,13%), approximately 72,16% are unmarried, about 53,61% of them are paid only up to two times the national minimum wage and 26,80% live in Planaltina-DF. They exhibited knowledge about ways to productively use organic residue, and were willing to learn more of those, but opinions diverge about whose responsibility it is to make such actions, if it is theirs or the government’s. About the data bases research, it was concluded that there are easy, moderate and difficult ways to take advantage of the residues. A circular economy is possible, but it needs support from both consumers and the government so that, together, organic waste can be downsized.