Rio joins Global Zero Waste Districts initiative

Rio de Janeiro has been chosen as one of seven cities worldwide to participate in the Zero Waste Districts program, aimed at waste management and methane reduction. The Climate Observatory's SEEG ranks Rio as the city with the highest greenhouse gas emissions from waste in Brazil. Other participating cities include George Town, Kuala Lumpur, Santiago, Patagonia, and Kisumu.

The program, led by the Zero Waste Foundation with support from the Global Methane Hub, sets the goal of diverting at least 70% of waste from landfills by 2030 and 90% by 2040. This would result in lower methane emissions and reduced air pollution, benefiting the environment and public health. Marcelo Mena, GMH's executive director, believes these models can create jobs, recover valuable resources, and develop scalable solutions.

The program's announcement was made during Climate Week in New York on September 24th. Rio's participation signifies an important step towards implementing climate actions, according to Adalberto Maluf, the national secretary of the environment at Brazil's Ministry of the Environment. Brazil already has experience in reducing methane emissions, from waste generation to circular economy initiatives.

Monthly satellite monitoring of methane plumes, initiated in 2023 at Rio's Comlurb Waste Treatment Center, has helped identify areas for action and increased biogas collection network usage by 7.35% compared to 2024. Regional director for Latin America at GMH, Henrique Bezerra, sees the successful implementation of such strategies as a means to create healthier and more sustainable communities.