ECONOMIA CIRCULAR COMO FATOR DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E SUSTENTABILIDADE NA MICRORREGIÃO DE VARGINHA

Abstract

The large accumulation of waste in urban centers has been compelling society to change its way of thinking about the production, consume and disposal of available products. The imminent risk of a depletion of natural resources, the warming of the climate and natural catastrophes caused by the large pollution and irresponsible extraction of resources in nature has been putting the planet ever closer to an environmental, social and economic collapse. Many countries in the world have already started to make progress in moving the whole of society towards the transition from the actual linear system to a new productive system that is the Circular Economy (CE), which considers that a productive cycle can be cleaned of waste and energy, generating sustainability in environmental, social, institutional and economic aspects. In Brazil, we had an evolutionary mark in this topic in 2010 with the publication of Law 12.305 to introduce the National Policy on Solid Waste (PNRS). The objective of this study was descriptive and exploratory and aimed to establish the precepts of the circular economy based on the application of the PNRS in the micro-region of Varginha, in southern Minas Gerais, and to identify possible opportunities for the development of the municipalities involved, seeking to direct public administrations towards sustainable development through a guide of best practices available for public administrators. The methodology started with a bibliographic review, in which concepts related to sustainability, CE and PNRS were explored. A data survey (through interviews) was also carried out, seeking to describe the current scenario of the studied region concerning issues involving the concepts explored in the research. The results were analyzed using the Iramuteq software in search of connections between the questioned issues. In the analysis of results, a restriction was observed on the part of municipal managers responsible for USW management in the Varginha micro-region concerning knowledge about the CE, PNRS and actions that could be developed for the sustainability of municipalities. It was observed that only some of the actions required by the PNRS have been implemented. Some municipalities have instituted actions aimed at sustainability and it was observed that the results obtained in the social, economic and environmental areas were positive. Specifically, regarding the CE, PNRS and actions that could be developed for the sustainability of municipalities. It was noticed that only some of the actions required by the PNRS have been implemented. Some municipalities have instituted actions aimed at sustainability and it was observed that the results obtained in the social, economic, and environmental areas were positive. Specifically, regarding the CE, through this study it was found that there are still many opportunities to be explored and that can be immediately implemented in these municipalities. In the same way, there is still a lot to be done for the region's development to occur in a sustainable and circular way. It was also noticed that despite the fact that the CE presents effective financial gains, opportunities for job generation and social inclusion, and environmental preservation, it is still a new concept in the region, and that most of the managers involved in environmental and waste management in the municipalities had no knowledge about CE.