Possibilidades da inclusão das organizações de catadores de materiais recicláveis de Campina Grande-PB no plano de gestão integrada de resíduos sólidos do município.

Abstract

Organizations of waste pickers are important actors in the management of solid waste, being responsible for collecting much of the recyclable material is sent to the recycling industries in the post-consumer lifecycle. However, these professionals are at the base of the recycling chain and are exploited by intermediaries in the chain because they have a lot of difficulties to deal directly with these industries, such as lack of study, professional, structure to carry out the activities required at work, etc. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate what are the possibilities to strengthen the waste pickers organizations operating in Campina Grande-PB in order to facilitate their effective inclusion in Management Integrated Waste county Solid. Exploratory research was conducted with some social actors involved in the recycling chain of Campina Grande-PB, having been interviewed three formalized organizations of recyclable materials collectors located in the municipality; the city government of Campina Grande-PB; two NGOs linked to federal and state government, which develop projects funded with these organizations and a private company that sells the recyclables with these organizations. The case study of these organizations, in addition to literature and documentary performed permitted to assess the strengthening of possibilities of organizations of waste pickers in the municipality, and to prepare suggestions for the inclusion of these professionals in Integrated solid waste can be performed effectively. The organization of waste pickers into associations or cooperatives led to improvements in working and living conditions of these professionals, however, despite the improvements, it is observed some problems in these organizations, such as the lack of operational structure, favoring better gains in marketing the collected materials and problems of relational order and management, which are prohibitive for partnerships with private companies, aiming at economic growth of these enterprises. We conclude that we need to invest in the structure, training and administrative technical preparation of the waste pickers organizations so that they present conditions to establish these and other partnerships. With the conquest of autonomy and understanding of professional responsibility they have, these enterprises can grow in search of better earnings and decent working conditions, obtaining due recognition and effective inclusion in the Integrated Solid Waste Management as advocates 12.305/2010 law.