LANDFILL MINING IN BRAZIL: SOME CHALLENGING ASPECTS FOR APPLICATION

Abstract

To address the continued global reliance on land disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), landfill mining (LFM) has emerged as a strategy to recover resources, supporting the Circular Economy. Despite being applied since the 1950s, LFM remains an emerging approach with limited large-scale implementation. This study assesses the feasibility of LFM in Brazil by comparing the socioeconomic, environmental, and waste characteristics of international experiences with Brazilian conditions to identify the main challenges to its implementation. A narrative literature review was conducted covering LFM processes, material fractions, technological routes, economic aspects, and the current state of research and application in Brazil, followed by a comparative analysis between international studies and the Brazilian context. International experiences are predominantly limited to conceptual analyses or pilot feasibility studies, with few large- or full-scale applications. Soil-like materials generally constitute the largest fraction of mined waste, followed by combustible materials, while recyclable fractions are often limited by contamination and market constraints. In Brazil, LFM remains incipient; however, the high dependence on landfilling, low recovery rates, and large accumulated volumes indicate significant resource recovery potential. Nevertheless, its feasibility depends on site-specific technical, environmental, geotechnical, and economic conditions, including high rainfall, elevated organic matter content, increased leachate generation, steep landfill slopes, limited markets for recovered materials, and differences between engineered landfills and dumpsites. Overall, LFM represents a promising complementary strategy for Brazil, but its implementation requires pilot- and full-scale field investigations to evaluate excavation methods, material recovery routes, environmental and occupational impacts, and economic feasibility under Brazilian conditions.