Even today in Brazil millions of tons of solid organic waste are thrown in the open, buried or
burned due to the lack of knowledge of its potential value as an input for new production
processes and the environmental and human health impacts resulting from its inappropriate
disposition. In this direction, this research intended to analyze the management of Organic Solid
Waste (OSW) generated in the production of meals at the University Restaurant - Basic Sector
of the Cidade Universitária Prof. José da Silveira Netto from the perspective of the National
Solid Waste Policy. Therefore, multimethod procedures were adopted for data collection using
primary sources (1 - Field diary, 2 - characterization of OSW) and secondary sources (3
bibliographic research). As it was found, the various residual portions produced by the Unit,
which include from husks, seeds and parts that are damaged or unsuitable for consumption of
vegetables, as well as meat trimmings, waste water from their washing and biosolids, can
provide organic and inorganic nutrients that are valuable if properly managed and recycled,
usable as ingredients for nutritional production or fortification, production of
biopharmaceuticals, biofuels, bioelectricity, biofertilizers and natural biosorbents for soil and
effluent treatment. However, the final destination of this material has been carried out
improperly according to the premises of the National Solid Waste Policy, with regard to
minimizing damage to the environment. In this sense, it is evident that there is a mismatch
between the production process of the meals at the University Restaurant - Basic Sector from
the perspective of the treatment that should be given to the OSW, recommended by the National
Solid Waste Policy and thus, also regarding the role played by the Universidade Federal do Pará
(UFPA) in being one of the most important Brazilian Higher Education Institutions active in
the promotion of sustainable development and protection of the Amazon, highlighting the need
to reflect on the need to change the view on OSW, such as the implementation of policies with
greater impact. In addition, it was considered relevant, based on the data collected, to prepare
an educational booklet on OSW, as an important instrument that allows the reflection of the
entire university community involved in the process of generating OSW, on environmental and
human health issues. related to their inappropriate destination, insofar as they can act as vectors
of insects and harmful animals and pathogenic microorganisms; surface and/or nearby
groundwater degradation resulting from increased nutrient loading and; air pollution, given the
emission of polluting gases.
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