Waste-to-energy project could boost Brazil’s decarbonization goals

Manaus, in the state of Amazonas, is one of the top generators of solid waste among Brazil’s state capitals, with an average of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of garbage per resident every day. According to the Brazilian Association for Waste and the Environment (ABREMA in Portuguese), the waste problem is not exclusive to Amazonas’ most populous city: The state as a whole has one of the highest rates of landfill use, with almost 92% of its cities disposing of their garbage this way. In states like São Paulo and Santa Catarina, that rate is less than 3%. This practice results in an accumulation of polluting waste that, in addition to creating socioeconomic and logistical problems, contaminates the soil in the Amazon, triggering numerous environmental alerts. But now, the energy transition may hav