Management of plastic wastes at Brazilian ports and diagnosis of their generation

This study evaluated the management of plastic wastes at 20 Brazilian maritime ports, from three sources: vessels, leased and non-leased areas. The data were obtained from documents on port wastes organized in a relational database with defined protocols (closed form). Analysis of the spreadsheets prepared and field visits revealed that the main bottleneck in managing plastic wastes at ports is their segregation. In general, more material is segregated and sent for recycling from leased areas than non-leased ones (administered by the government). This relatively better performance in managing the wastes generated in leased areas is probably due to the need for private operators to comply with the international standards such as the Code of Environmental Practice to satisfy the international market. •The management of plastic wastes was studied at Brazilian maritime ports.•Three sources of residues were studied: vessels, leased and non-leased areas.•The main bottleneck in managing plastic wastes at ports is their segregation.•In general, more material is segregated and sent for recycling from leased areas.•Better performance is due to the need to comply with the international standards.