Waste pickers must be included in environmental policies, sector representative says

Regardless of how ambitious or restrained a waste management policy may be, plans are unlikely to meet their goals without the human element: waste pickers. According to Sebrae, 16,100 are officially registered, but the real number could be closer to 800,000, as estimated by the National Movement of Recyclable Material Collectors. During Rio Nature and Climate Week, one of these professionals, Claudete Costa, shared her experiences and perspectives on the circular economy. - I am a recyclable materials collector, and in my view, as a citizen, collector, and professional in this sector, we do not have a country properly educated to make this disposal. As a result, everything is sent to landfills and other units that do not represent the correct destination, which would generate jobs and income for us collectors within a cooperative - she stated. For her, waste pickers need to be treated as part of the solution, as they deal directly with waste and often understand better than those in offices the appropriate destinations for materials. - We need to confront a history of exclusion in society and change this concept. For example, I'm often called a garbage picker. I am not a garbage picker. I'm a recyclable material collector - she pointed out. - The government and society need to stop being hypocritical. When it suits them, we are called recyclable material collectors. When it doesn't, we become garbage pickers. She believes that any environmental project, regardless of size, requires a broad approach where waste pickers have a voice. - We need to be allowed to sit at the table and build together. It doesn't work for someone to come with everything ready and just present us with a solution without giving us information and allowing us to participate in the construction - she opined. - If we are talking about the planet, sustainability, and climate, then we want to be part of that discussion. And we want to be valued and compensated for everything we produce within this chain.