By Equipe de Redação
Posted in November 27, 2024
The region now has five recyclable sorting centers with professional structure and management to expand selective collection in six of the seven member municipalities: Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, Nova Odessa, Hortolândia, Monte Mor, Capivari, and Elias Fausto.
Consimares (Intermunicipal Consortium for Solid Waste Management of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas) and Ambipar Environment, a Brazilian multinational leader in environmental solutions, are advancing the initiatives of the Recicla Junto Project. The main highlight is the expansion of the recycling cooperatives network, which operates under the pioneering management model developed and implemented by Ambipar. This methodology professionalizes activities and strengthens the circular economy. The initiative is supported by companies such as Tetra Pak, Dow, and CBA (Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio).
The five waste sorting centers are distributed across four municipalities: two in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, one in Nova Odessa (Coopersonhos), one in Hortolândia, and one in Monte Mor – which will also serve Capivari and Elias Fausto. These last three municipalities did not previously have selective collection. Sumaré is still considering joining the project.
The expansion of selective collection in the Consimares territory with professional management is the result of the second phase of the Recicla Junto Program, whose progress was presented last Thursday (11/21/2024) at an event held in the Ambipar auditorium in Nova Odessa. The event gathered mayors, public managers, environmental technicians, supporting companies, and representatives of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Launched just over a year ago, the Recicla Junto Project aims to promote selective collection and the proper disposal of recyclable solid waste in the Consortium’s municipalities, 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 implements strategies in the territory to increase recycling rates in cities and accelerate the circular economy in the region. The work plan includes creating regulatory frameworks for selective collection, formalizing cooperatives, setting up sorting facilities, installing equipment, and training recycling professionals for professional and sustainable self-management. As part of the project, municipalities provide dedicated trucks for recyclable collection and adequate facilities for 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 facility 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 recycling professionals,” Baroni highlights.
The innovative management model for cooperatives is already showing positive results. According to data presented by the company, the volume of recyclables traded by the cooperatives in operation increased from 111 tons in January to 173 tons in September. The percentage of waste in the sorting process dropped from 12% to 9%.
The average monthly income of recycling professionals is R$1,940.40 (men) and R$1,867.40 (women). These amounts are 37% above the minimum wage and 31% higher than the national average remuneration, according to Ambipar’s report. Women make up the majority in the cooperative network, representing 69% of recycling professionals, while men constitute 31%.
“The humanized circular economy is a breeding ground for businesses and opportunities. We want to scale this model across Brazil. Our approach has the potential to change lives. Collaboration is essential for greater progress,” says Maíra Pereira, director of Ambipar Environment.
“We work to ensure that cooperatives become profitable businesses and solutions for cities. Therefore, they need to be well-structured,” adds Juliana Navea, director at Ambipar.
Consimares Superintendent Mimo Ravagnani acknowledged the municipalities’ contributions to the progress of Recicla Junto. “We appreciate the support from municipalities. Sharing experiences to divert waste from landfills helps us move forward in this project, which strengthens cooperatives and the circular economy while fostering social inclusion,” he said.
Nova Odessa Mayor Cláudio Schooder (Leitinho) highlighted the city’s efforts to implement the new cooperative recycling management model. “I’m happy to be part of this historic moment. We did our part by leasing the facility for the Coopersonhos cooperative and providing a truck for selective collection. Now, with Ambipar’s support, recycling professionals will have better working conditions and income opportunities,” he said.
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 Consimares municipalities, confirmed the results of Ambipar’s methodology. Barros will lead the second unit of Juntos Somos Fortes, preparing to start operations in Monte Mor in a shared system with Capivari and Elias Fausto.
“We received support for professionalization. We transitioned from working in landfills to a dignified reality with structured, clean facilities and uniformed staff. The new management model increased cooperative members’ income from R$700 per month to an average of R$2,000. It changed lives. We will make a difference in Monte Mor, as we do in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste,” Barros noted.
The emerging circular territory in the Consimares region is supported by companies committed to the sustainable and proper disposal of post-consumer waste. “The positive impact is not just in Monte Mor but throughout the region. It’s a legacy we want to leave for the community in terms of post-consumption sustainability,” says Valéria Michel, director of Sustainability Brazil and Southern Cone at Tetra Pak, which has a unit in Monte Mor.
“We believe the circular chain must include social inclusion. This partnership is fundamental. 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 through collaboration between public and private sectors to expand the recycling chain with dignity. This is a learning experience to be replicated in other regions,” says Alan Ferreira da Costa, Social Responsibility Consultant at CBA (Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio).
GAEMA
Recicla Junto is well-regarded by GAEMA (Special Environmental Defense Group) prosecutors from the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor’s Office. “Without selective collection, all other waste management pathways are compromised. Solutions must be sustainable. This regionalized experience by Consimares should be extended to other municipalities,” says Prosecutor Alexandra Faccioli Martins.
Prosecutor Alexandre Sanches Garcia acknowledges advances in waste management but emphasizes the need for further progress. “This region is one of the most important in Brazil, yet the recycling rate remains low, the same as 10-12 years ago. We must reflect on how to progress further. The synergy between public authorities through consortia and the private sector delivers results. Recycling cooperative workers must have dignified working conditions. Municipalities need to better support Consimares’ work and invest more,” Garcia noted.
ABOUT THE 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 improper disposal methods.
With the goal of transforming solid waste management and promoting a culture of sustainability and social responsibility in the region, the Recicla Junto Consimares Project aims 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.
Additionally, it offers opportunities and training for recycling professionals, actively involving the public sector, private sector, and the community 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, paving the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future for all, through Ambipar Environment’s exclusive methodology.
Founded 15 years ago, Consimares comprises seven municipalities (Nova Odessa, Capivari, Elias Fausto, Hortolândia, Monte Mor, Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, and Sumaré), home to approximately 1 million inhabitants. The region’s waste production is 700 tons per day.
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