Análise das práticas de descarte de embalagens de alimentos nas praias urbanas de Fortaleza

Abstract

In the face of an accelerated lifestyle of contemporary society in the twenty-first century, the consumption of processed items or fast food was promoted, considering the consumption of goods and services, with the excessive use of these products. The consumption and disposal of processed packaging can have notable consequences for society and marine ecosystems. The concept of disposal in this research is examined through the lens of theories of social practices, which are underpinned by the interaction between individuals' behaviors and established social structures, with habitus serving as an intermediary between these two aspects. In this context, the general objective of this research is to investigate how the practices of disposal of industrialized food packaging occur on the beaches of Barra do Ceará, Leste-Oeste and Carminha (Iracema) in Fortaleza-CE. With regard to the specific objectives, it is necessary to: a) quantitatively survey which are the most evident industrialized food packaging that is discarded by consumers on urban beaches, through the collections carried out by the Litterless extension project; b) identify, through field diary analysis, the elements of the practices of disposal of industrialized food packaging on urban beaches, which are: the materials, competencies and meanings in the shape of a closed triangle, relating them in practice; and c) to analyze the links between the elements of the practices of disposal of industrialized food packaging on urban beaches. In the theoretical framework of the research, consumption, solid waste, marine pollution, processed food packaging, the theory of social practices, and finally, the practice of disposal, here investigated as a composite of sustainable practices in consumption from the perspective of the theory of practices, are explored. The methodology used in this research is characterized as a mix of quantitative and qualitative nature, using an observational study with the techniques of the field diary and the photographic record. In the analysis of results, it is noticed that the data collected on the beaches of Fortaleza-CE, showing that the inadequate disposal on the beaches of Fortaleza is not an isolated phenomenon. On the contrary, it is a recurrent practice, with seasonal patterns throughout 2023 and 2024, concluding that the disposal of processed packaging transcends mere individual action, it incorporates a reflection of social practices that are shaped by structural, cultural and educational influences with the disposal of processed packaging on the urban coast.