Use of Solid Waste for the Development of Ecological Spaces: Squares and Trails as Vectors of Sustainability

Abstract

The accumulation of solid waste without adequate disposal leads to harmful consequences for the environment, which makes it important to search for ecologically viable solutions. Thus, the objective of the work was to reuse solid waste in a prototype of an ecological square and trail in the physical environment of the Federal University of Maranhão-Campus Balsas (UFMA-CB). To this end, a diagnosis of the site was made regarding the functionality of the surrounding buildings, human modifications, in addition to the delimitation of the trail and the square. According to the data, UFMA-CB has a total area of 120 ha and some signs of fires and accumulation of construction waste from works on the administrative, pedagogical and laboratory buildings. The established trail is 850 meters long and recycled utensils and plants from native species of the cerrado were inserted in the square's flowerbed, contributing to the rehabilitation of a space to relax outdoors and inspire socio-environmental practices.