Law No. 4.457 creating the Amazonas State Solid Waste Policy (PERS/AM).

This Law establishes the State Solid Waste Policy of Amazonas (PERS-AM), creating a comprehensive legal framework for the integrated management and environmentally sound handling of solid waste in the State of Amazonas. The law is guided by principles such as prevention and precaution, shared responsibility throughout the product life cycle, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, public participation, and environmental education. Its main objectives are to protect environmental quality and public health, reduce waste generation, promote reuse and recycling, encourage the development of cleaner technologies, and strengthen cooperation among public authorities, the private sector, and civil society. The policy also recognizes recyclable materials as valuable economic and social resources capable of generating employment and income, particularly through the inclusion of waste pickers and recycling cooperatives. The law establishes a broad range of instruments and mechanisms to achieve these objectives, including state, regional, intermunicipal, and municipal waste management plans, selective collection systems, reverse logistics schemes, environmental education programs, waste information systems, and economic incentives for sustainable waste management practices. It requires public authorities, businesses, and consumers to share responsibility for waste reduction, recovery, recycling, and proper disposal, while promoting the elimination of open dumps, the recovery of degraded areas, and the development of recycling markets. The policy further strengthens the role of cooperatives of recyclable-material collectors, encourages intermunicipal cooperation, creates monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and establishes penalties for violations related to improper waste management, thereby supporting a transition toward a more circular and environmentally sustainable economy in Amazonas.