Gestão de resíduos de construção e demolição e volumosos nos Ecopontos de Uberlândia (MG): a contribuição do design estratégico sustentável

Abstract

The growing generation of municipal solid waste, particularly construction and demolition waste (CDW), stands out as one of the main challenges for Brazilian cities. In the municipality of Uberlândia (MG), the implementation of the Ecopoint system was adopted as a strategy to improve waste management, comply with legal requirements—especially for small-scale generators—and mitigate the environmental impacts of improper disposal. However, the effectiveness of these urban facilities remains limited due to operational flaws, insufficient user communication, lack of institutional coordination, and low community participation. In this context, this research aims to understand how strategic design can contribute to improving the usability of Ecopoints and enhancing the management of CDW and bulky waste in the municipality. The methodology combines systematic and non-systematic literature reviews, documentary research, case study, direct observation at Ecopoints, questionnaires, interviews with operators, and a co creation workshop for the development of future scenarios. The theoretical framework addresses CDW and bulky waste management, the functioning of Ecopoints, and the principles of Design for Sustainability (DfS), with an emphasis on the Strategic Design approach. The research directly aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). As a result, two orienting scenarios were developed: one focused on incremental improvements and another with a more disruptive proposal. The former, considered more aligned with local social maturity, was structured into three transformation axes—tactical, strategic, and operational—providing guidelines to enhance Ecopoint usability and management. This scenario was named “Ecopontos 2030” and was structured using the Design-Orienting Scenarios (DOS) methodology. The study concludes that Strategic Design is a relevant approach for articulating stakeholders, fostering collaborative networks, and developing systemic solutions, contributing to a more integrated, participatory, and sustainability-oriented waste management system grounded in circular economy principles.