Legislation and Population Size: Factors Influencing Urban Solid Waste Collection Costs in Municipalities of the State of Rio De Janeiro

Objective: This article aims to investigate whether the presence of specific municipal legislation and the population size of municipalities in the State of Rio de Janeiro significantly influence the unit costs of urban solid waste collection. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical foundation is based on the Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS), as well as studies on municipal governance, local public policies, and sustainability in waste management, with a focus on operational efficiency and the costs involved in providing solid waste collection services. Method: The research adopted a quantitative approach, analyzing data extracted from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS). Municipalities were classified into six groups based on the presence of specific legislation and population size. Statistical tests such as Shapiro-Wilk and Mann-Whitney were applied to assess differences in medians across groups, with support from the RStudio software. Results and Discussion: The results reveal that large municipalities with specific legislation presented lower median costs per ton of waste collected, suggesting greater efficiency in service delivery. In contrast, small municipalities without legislation tend to have higher unit costs. Research Implications: The findings contribute to the improvement of municipal public policies for waste management, reinforcing the importance of legislation as a mechanism for operational and financial efficiency, especially in larger municipalities. The research also provides empirical evidence useful to policymakers and local administrators. Originality/Value: The originality of this study lies in the simultaneous analysis of two structural factors (local legislation and population size) on waste collection costs, using a comparative statistical approach with real data from all municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The research fills a gap in the literature by proposing an analytical typology that can be replicated in other Brazilian states.