It can be said that urban solid waste is synonym of resource and, therefore, we are talking about raw material, energy and minerals. The solid waste market is constantly evolving and growing. The Brazilian solid waste management policy is very up-to-date and contemporary from the environmental point of view. However, municipalities that must comply with it are in an emerging country, with several regional differences and undergoing three years of severe financial crisis. How can Brazil meet the requirements of its national solid waste policy taking into account the reality of its municipalities? The consti-tution of public consortia among municipalities seems to be a viable alternative. One way to measure the lack of development of a country is by looking at its waste. Direct and precise statement of two journalists of the Folha de São Paulo newspaper, at the start news story on the situation of dumpsites nationwide. Numbers related to the generation of solid waste are alarming in Brazil and in other developing countries. Observing data available from several sources, it can be mentioned that in 2011 the world had 7 billion inhabitants and 1.3 billion tons of solid waste was globally produced per year. Projections indicate that by 2050there will be 10 billion inhabitants on the planet, who will produce 4 billion tons of solid waste per year. A famous equation, among the world s experts on the subject, says: population plus development equals more waste. According to worldwide figures presented by scholars on the subject, solid waste management has become a matter of survival. Therefore, there is an increasing and intense debate about the growing and significant generation of solid waste, especially those from urban areas.