Desempenho ambiental da coleta seletiva informal na cidade de Uberlândia - MG

Abstract

Autonomous recyclable waste pickers perform an important role in collecting recyclable materials from the streets, contributing to improve urban quality and preserving the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of informal selective waste collection in the city of Uberlândia/MG. For this, interviews were conducted with 30 informal recyclable waste pickers from Uberlândia/MG. It was identified that each collector gathers an average of 4.5 tons/month, which causes them to contribute with an average of 3,030.8 tons/month to the recycling industry, representing an average of 33.5% of the total of recyclable waste generated in the city. The environmental performance of informal pickers is an average of 16.9 times greater in relation to formal selective waste collection and an average of 1.3 times greater in relation to the productivity of pickers in cooperatives and associations. However, the aggregate financial value of recyclable waste collected by autonomous waste pickers is 5.3 times less than that of waste pickers organized into associations and cooperatives. Therefore, the environmental performance of informal waste pickers is significant for cleaning the city and guaranteeing the recycling industry, requiring greater support and incentives for these workers to be formalized and have better working conditions.