The current model of Brazilian economic development associated with population growth and the new consumption trends, in recent decades, give to contemporary society the title of Throwaway Economy, according to Brown (2003), so, being the main contribution to the extreme generation of Urban Solid Waste (or Municipal Solid Waste - MSW) . The list of products consumed and discarded every day is extensive and, therefore, natural resources become increasingly scarce. The raw material is extracted from nature, processed, manufactured and then sold as consumer goods to meet the needs and desires of thousands of consumers in Brazil. Today, the excessive generation of waste is one of biggest environmental challenges on the agenda of municipalities, so demanding a need to apply technology and changes in the disposal behavior of the society as a whole. The management of MSW usually is a great difficulty for municipalities responsible for it, since the areas close to urban centers, designed to house such wastes, are becoming increasingly rare, complex and challenged to find. Also, the intense traffic of garbage trucks, noise and unpleasant odor is the main problem related by people who reject to live or working near a Landfill or Waste Treatment Center; such feature was corroborated by the findings of both metropolitan areas surveyed. Therefore, the management of MSW becomes crucial for the sustainable development of cities. Improper handling of waste and its disposal at noncontrolled locations can cause serious environmental damages, what may take years to be repaired, also, social problems, since it promotes waste picking activity without any zeal for human health. The Brazilian government in face of this intricate challenge - that involves different segments of society -, considering it is not only an environmental issue, but also economic and social, have launched in August, 2010 the Brazilian National Solid Waste Policy - (Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos - PNRS), a necessary and important legal measure, since conflicts of interest arise, so requiring solutions. The Brazilian National Plan gathers business companies, civil society and the public management, which is extremely important for the responsible management of waste generated in each of the municipalities (BRAZIL, 2010). The Plan have determined until August 2, 2014 to the extinction of lixões2 in all Brazilian municipalities. However, days after its publication, ABRELPE reports were released highlighting the challenging numbers for Municipalities: according to them, there were approximately 3,500 active landfills in all regions of Brazil. Also, this was not the first attempt failed to achieve the goal of eradication of lixões. So, this work is a theoretical efforts aiming at identify possible measures to non-generating municipal waste / waste prevention, not only to meet what determines the Plan, but as a sustainable alternative for municipal waste management in the city of Rio de Janeiro. For that, a comparative study between two cities - Rio de Janeiro, RJ and New York, NYC, was carried out, by means the analysis of municipal Land-use planning to raise best practices and socio-educational alternatives seeking to reduce wastes at Rio de Janeiro.