A new phase of BVRio’s capacity building project is underway in Rio de Janeiro involving nine waste cooperatives, eight more than the successful first phase implemented between 2022-23. Now the project is expanding its scope to benefit more waste pickers, who are responsible for over 90% of recycling in Brazil, with the target to collect and recycle 5000+ metric tons of plastic waste.
Running until October 2026, the project focuses on improving the management of waste picker cooperatives to increase capacity and safety in their operations, providing training for at least 300 waste pickers, the members of the cooperatives. BVRio’s Circular Economy experts will be coaching and helping them to develop their business model, overseeing the cooperatives incorporating new technology into their practices and digitising their record keeping through the KOLEKT waste management app.
In the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro where waste cooperatives operate, there is little to no municipal waste recycling facilities available to businesses and households, so waste cooperatives provide a vital, but often under invested, service. Funded by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance) the cooperatives are acquiring new trucks and equipment to offer recyclable materials collection for around 100 businesses and 5000 households, as well as informing them to implement recycling best practices.
“We are very grateful to be included in this project and to benefit from working with BVRio. We currently have only one truck, and its maintenance costs are high. Purchasing a new, better truck will greatly reduce the cooperative’s expenses, increase turnover, boost our productivity, and improve support for our members.” — Ana Carla, Coopideal leader.
“We are thrilled to be expanding this project. Through the initial investment in the waste cooperatives their operations will be transformed, allowing them to become self-sufficient by taking on additional contracts. They will not only become more professional, safer and larger operations, but in turn, they will also increase the recycling rates in the areas where they operate. This partnership with the Alliance invests in the future of waste pickers and the city alike, and is a model that has proven to be a sustainable, win-win solution for implementing reverse logistics.” Pedro Succar, BVRio Circular Economy Specialist.
“BVRio’s impactful progress working with cooperatives and waste pickers in Rio de Janeiro is commendable. Their efforts not only enhance the cooperatives’ ability to reintroduce plastic waste into the economy but also drive meaningful improvements in the livelihoods of the waste pickers involved.” Mark Stumpf, Chief Advisor, Global Programs and Circularity, Alliance to End Plastic Waste
