Evaluation of Environmental Noise Generated by Household Waste Collection Trucks

This paper discusses a specific source of noise, which is generated by household waste collection trucks. Two areas in the city of Curitiba were chosen for evaluation, one of them a densely populated residential neighborhood and the other in downtown Curitiba. A noise map was created for each area. The evaluation, which was carried out in the daytime in the residential area and at night in the downtown area, revealed noise levels exceeding the limits established by Curitiba Municipal Law No. 10625. The regular use of utility vehicles that generate high noise levels, such as garbage trucks, during nighttime hours in residential areas is thus not sustainable from the standpoint of noise protection laws. Nighttime hours in Curitiba are 10[Formula: see text]pm to 7[Formula: see text]am, but nighttime garbage collection begins at 7[Formula: see text]pm and goes on until 4[Formula: see text]am. Therefore, changes in this schedule are advisable, given the noise impact caused by garbage collection trucks.