Brazil cities launch massive cleanup of election waste

Following the first round of elections, municipal cleaning agencies across several Brazilian cities have launched massive operations to remove discarded campaign materials, known as ‘santinhos’, from public streets and voting sites.

In Rio de Janeiro, Comlurb reported collecting 423 tons of electoral propaganda waste, mobilizing over 3,600 workers and hundreds of vehicles to clean the city. In Recife, Emlurb removed over 119 tons of waste, including solid waste and flag bases. In João Pessoa, Emlur deployed at least 300 agents to clear streets and sidewalks near polling stations.

In the Distrito Federal, the Serviço de Limpeza Urbana (SLU) collected approximately 20 tons of waste, with reports of vehicles being filmed dumping materials in various regions. Authorities noted that the mass distribution of these materials near polling locations is illegal under electoral law and can result in fines or detention.