ABSTRACT: From 2010 on, with the approval of the National Policy for Basic Sanitation and the National Policy for Solid Waste, the topic of solid waste has gained visibility and has been widely discussed. However, one can see that, in most Brazilian municipalities, urban solid waste management has been very far from reaching satisfying results. This paper assesses the Integrated Management of Urban Solid Waste in Paty do Alferes, a municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and analyzes the operability of the Sorting and Composting Unit set in that municipality. To that end, bibliographical reviews, as well as field researches, data collection and interviews with the people involved in the process, were performed. It was possible to identify weak and strong spots in the municipality’s Integrated Solid Waste Management and in the structures and operation of Barro Branco’s Sorting and Composting Plant. As a result for Paty do Alferes, it was noted that there is an immediate need for an elaboration of a Municipal Plan for Integrated Management of Urban Solid Waste suitable for the reality of the city in question, which enables the setting of goals and programs for the continuous improvement of services. As for the Barro Branco’s Sorting and Composting Plant, it has been concluded that the deficient planning, along with a weak supervision from the government and the lack of technical knowledge from the people in charge of the running of the plant, has made its operation inefficient, causing it to be shut down.
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