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 B\u00e1rbara d\u2019Oeste, Nova Odessa, Hortol\u00e2ndia, Monte Mor, Capivari, and Elias Fausto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 Alum\u00ednio).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The five waste sorting centers are distributed across four municipalities: two in Santa B\u00e1rbara d\u2019Oeste, one in Nova Odessa (Coopersonhos), one in Hortol\u00e2ndia, and one in Monte Mor \u2013 which will also serve Capivari and Elias Fausto. These last three municipalities did not previously have selective collection. Sumar\u00e9 is still considering joining the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president of Consimares and mayor of Elias Fausto, Mauricio Baroni, celebrates the progress in organizing the recycling chain in the region. \u201cWe 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,\u201d Baroni highlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s report. Women make up the majority in the cooperative network, representing 69% of recycling professionals, while men constitute 31%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d says Ma\u00edra Pereira, director of Ambipar Environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe work to ensure that cooperatives become profitable businesses and solutions for cities. Therefore, they need to be well-structured,\u201d adds Juliana Navea, director at Ambipar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consimares Superintendent Mimo Ravagnani acknowledged the municipalities’ contributions to the progress of Recicla Junto. \u201cWe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nova Odessa Mayor Cl\u00e1udio Schooder (Leitinho) highlighted the city\u2019s efforts to implement the new cooperative recycling management model. \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019s support, recycling professionals will have better working conditions and income opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Antonio Carlos Vianna de Barros, founder of the Juntos Somos Fortes Cooperative in Santa B\u00e1rbara d\u2019Oeste, a social enterprise that serves as a model for other Consimares municipalities, confirmed the results of Ambipar\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe 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\u2019 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 B\u00e1rbara d\u2019Oeste,\u201d Barros noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The emerging circular territory in the Consimares region is supported by companies committed to the sustainable and proper disposal of post-consumer waste. \u201cThe positive impact is not just in Monte Mor but throughout the region. It\u2019s a legacy we want to leave for the community in terms of post-consumption sustainability,\u201d says Val\u00e9ria Michel, director of Sustainability Brazil and Southern Cone at Tetra Pak, which has a unit in Monte Mor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believe the circular chain must include social inclusion. This partnership is fundamental. We want to expand to other regions of Brazil,\u201d says Giancarlos Montagnani, senior Sustainability Manager at Dow, a company with operations in Hortol\u00e2ndia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat 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,\u201d says Alan Ferreira da Costa, Social Responsibility Consultant at CBA (Companhia Brasileira de Alum\u00ednio).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GAEMA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recicla Junto is well-regarded by GAEMA (Special Environmental Defense Group) prosecutors from the S\u00e3o Paulo State Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office. \u201cWithout selective collection, all other waste management pathways are compromised. Solutions must be sustainable. This regionalized experience by Consimares should be extended to other municipalities,\u201d says Prosecutor Alexandra Faccioli Martins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prosecutor Alexandre Sanches Garcia acknowledges advances in waste management but emphasizes the need for further progress. \u201cThis 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\u2019 work and invest more,\u201d Garcia noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ABOUT THE PROJECT<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founded 15 years ago, Consimares comprises seven municipalities (Nova Odessa, Capivari, Elias Fausto, Hortol\u00e2ndia, Monte Mor, Santa B\u00e1rbara d\u2019Oeste, and Sumar\u00e9), home to approximately 1 million inhabitants. The region’s waste production is 700 tons per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n