Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on waste management at a restaurant in Taubaté, state of São Paulo, Brazil

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.317342323018

• Palavras-chave: organic waste, recyclable waste, environmental management

• Keywords: organic waste, recyclable waste, environmental management

• Abstract:

  The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic brought social, economic, environmental and cultural impacts to contemporary society. One of the impacted sectors was solid waste, requiring public and private managers to adapt to emerging realities. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the solid waste management of a restaurant in the municipality of Taubaté, state of São Paulo, Brazil. For about two years (October 2020 to October 2022), the following waste generated in an Arab food restaurant was collected and classified, including: organic waste (food leftovers), and dry waste (aluminum, plastic, PET, long-life packaging). Two periods were analyzed: a) during the period of social isolation (October 2020 to July 2021), when sales were made through the delivery system; b) during the reopening period for face-to-face service (August 2021 to October 2022), when sales resumed in person, but maintaining the delivery system. The results showed a significant growth of 238% in the monthly generation of waste, after the reopening of the restaurant for face-to-face service. However, a downward trend was observed in the period from June to October 2022, due to the growth in delivery sales. The results allow us to conclude that the change in customer behavior due to the pandemic increased delivery sales and transferred waste disposal to the final customer, affecting the management of solid waste in the evaluated restaurant.