Municipal solid waste management in the municipalities of the Alto Tietê Basin: an analysis of the use of ICT in the access to government information

Abstract The research aimed to analyze how information and communication technologies (ICT) and the internet in particular have been applied to support municipal solid waste management (MSW) at the local level. We analyzed the websites of the 34 municipalities that compose the Alto Tietê Basin seeking for information about selective collection programs, use of voluntary delivery points, and the access to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. The results reveal a limited use of ICT in most municipalities and its misapplication for disseminating important information to the population about adequate procedures of separation and storage of waste for selective collection. This may hinder the effectiveness of this public service and increase the health risks for collectors that work with the recycling of these materials. We conclude that a better use of ICT for an adequate monitoring and dissemination of information about municipal solid waste would be an effective mechanism to enforce the goals and targets determined by the National Solid Waste Policy at the local level, and to enhance the practices of accountability and provision of information to citizens.