Consimares and Ambipar Expand Selective Collection and Foster Circular Economy

Consimares (Consórcio Intermunicipal de Manejo de Resíduos Sólidos da Região Metropolitana de Campinas) and Ambipar Environment, a Brazilian multinational leader in environmental solutions, are advancing the actions of the “Recicla Junto” project. The main update is the expansion of the recycling cooperative network that adopts in their operations the pioneering management model developed and executed by Ambipar. The methodology professionalizes the activities and strengthens the circular economy. The initiative is supported by companies such as Tetra Pak, Dow, and Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA).
The five waste sorting centers are distributed across four municipalities: 2 in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, 1 in Nova Odessa, 1 in Hortolândia, and 1 in Monte Mor, which will also serve Capivari and Elias Fausto. These three latter municipalities did not previously have selective waste collection. Sumaré is still considering joining the project.

The expansion of selective waste collection in the Consimares territory with professional management is the result of the second phase of the “Recicla Junto” program, whose progress was presented this Thursday (21/11) at an event held at Ambipar’s headquarters in Nova Odessa. The event gathered mayors, public officials, environmental technicians, companies supporting the program, as well as representatives from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Created just over a year ago, the “Recicla Junto” project primarily aims to promote selective waste collection and the proper disposal of recyclable solid waste in the municipalities of the Consortium, diverting these materials from landfills and improper disposal. In partnership with Ambipar, Consimares seeks to transform the territory into an inspiring model of humanized circular economy.
The company applies strategies in the territory that are capable of raising recycling rates in the cities and accelerating the circular economy in the region. The work plan includes creating the regulatory framework for selective collection, formalizing cooperatives, implementing sorting sheds, installing equipment, and training recycling professionals for sustainable self-management. As part of the project, municipalities provide exclusive trucks for recyclable collection and appropriate facilities for installing the sorting centers.

The president of Consimares and mayor of Elias Fausto, Mauricio Baroni, celebrates the progress in organizing the recycling chain in the region. “We will inaugurate the sorting shed in Monte Mor, which will also serve Elias Fausto and Capivari. These municipalities will now have selective collection. These actions are the result of a public-private partnership that significantly contributes to selective collection in the region, organizes the recycling chain, and fosters the circular economy, with respect for the recycling professional,” highlights Baroni.

The innovative cooperative management model is already showing the first positive results. According to data presented by the company, the volume of recyclables traded by the cooperatives already in operation increased from 111 tons in January to 173 tons in September. The amount of waste in the sorting process decreased from 12% to 9%.

The average monthly income of recycling professionals is R$ 1,940.40 (men) and R$ 1,867.4 (women). These values are 37% above the minimum wage and 31% higher than the national average salary, according to an Ambipar report. Women make up the majority in the cooperative network, representing 69% of recycling professionals. Men account for 31% of the workers.

“Humanized circular economy is a hub of business and opportunities. We want to scale this model across Brazil. Our model brings the conditions to change people’s lives… We need to join efforts to make further progress,” says Maíra Pereira, director of Ambipar Environment.

“We work to ensure that cooperatives are profitable businesses and solutions for the cities. That’s why they need to be structured,” adds Juliana Navea, director of Ambipar.

The superintendent of Consimares, Mimo Ravagnani, valued the contribution of the municipalities to the progress of “Recicla Junto.” “We thank the municipalities for their support. The exchange of experiences to divert waste from landfills helps us move forward together in this project, which strengthens cooperatives and the circular economy, with social inclusion,” commented Ravagnani.

The mayor of Nova Odessa, Cláudio José Schooder, Leitinho, highlighted the actions of the City Hall to implement the new cooperative management model in the city. “I am happy to be part of this historic moment. We have done our part with the rental of the shed where the Coopersonhos cooperative will operate, we provided a truck for selective collection. Now, with Ambipar’s support, recycling professionals will have better working conditions and income generation,” said the mayor.

PROVEN RESULTS

Antonio Carlos Vianna de Barros, founder of the Juntos Somos Fortes Cooperative in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, a social enterprise that serves as a model for other cities in the Consimares territory, confirms the results of the methodology developed by Ambipar. Barros will lead the second unit of Juntos Somos Fortes, which is preparing to begin operations in Monte Mor, in a shared system with the municipalities of Capivari and Elias Fausto.

“We received support for professionalization. We went from a landfill reality to one of dignity, with work in a structured, clean environment, with uniformed professionals. The new management style increased the income of cooperatives from R$ 700 per month to an average of R$ 2,000. It transformed lives. We will make a difference in Monte Mor, just like we do in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste,” said Barros.

POST-CONSUMPTION RESPONSIBILITY

The circular territory being developed in the Consimares region is structured with the support of companies committed to the correct and sustainable disposal of waste after consumption. “The positive impact is not only in Monte Mor, but in the region. It’s a legacy we want to leave to the community regarding post-consumption sustainability,” says Valéria Michel, Director of Sustainability for Brazil and the Southern Cone at Tetra Pak, which has a unit in Monte Mor.

“We believe that the circular chain is built with social inclusion. This partnership is essential. We want to expand to other regions of Brazil,” says Giancarlos Montagnani, Senior Sustainability Manager at Dow, a company with operations in Hortolândia.

“What Consimares is doing is unprecedented in Brazil. Challenges are overcome with the union of the public and private sectors to expand the recycling chain with dignity. It is a learning experience to be implemented in other regions,” says Alan Ferreira da Costa, social responsibility consultant at Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA).

GAEMA

The Recicla Junto project is viewed positively by the prosecutors of GAEMA (Special Environmental Defense Group) of the Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo. “Without selective collection, all other routes are compromised. Solutions must be sustainable. This regionalized experience from Consimares is something we want to bring to other municipalities,” says prosecutor Alexandra Faccioli Martins.

Prosecutor Alexandre Sanches Garcia acknowledges the advances in waste management but points out that more progress is needed. “This region is one of the most important in Brazil, and the recycling rate is low. It remains the same as it was 10 or 12 years ago… We need to reflect on the path ahead to make more progress… This symbiosis of the public sector, via the consortium, and the private sector is a way to achieve results. Recycling cooperative workers must have dignified working conditions. There was a lack of support from the municipalities for the work of Consimares. More investment is needed,” Garcia observed.

ABOUT THE RECICLA JUNTO PROJECT

The Recicla Junto Consimares project is a collaborative initiative led by the Consortium in partnership with Ambipar Environment. Its main objective is to promote selective collection and the proper disposal of recyclable solid waste in the consortium’s municipalities, diverting these materials from landfills and any other inappropriate disposal methods.

Aiming to transform solid waste management and promote a culture of sustainability and social responsibility in the territory, the Recicla Junto Consimares project seeks to become an inspiring model of Humanized Circular Economy. To achieve this, it implements not only selective collection but also the creation, development, and training of Sorting Centers.

In addition, it offers opportunities and training for recycling professionals, actively involving the public sector, private sector, and the population in maintaining and expanding selective collection. In this way, the Recicla Junto Consimares project works to create a lasting positive impact on the community and the environment, moving towards a more sustainable and inclusive future for all, through the exclusive methodology of Ambipar Environment.

Founded 15 years ago, Consimares is composed of seven municipalities (Capivari, Elias Fausto, Hortolândia, Monte Mor, Nova Odessa, Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, and Sumaré) with a population of about 1 million people. The waste production in the territory is 700 tons per day.

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