A CONTRIBUIÇÃO DAS PARCERIAS PÚBLICO PRIVADAS PARA O TRABALHO DOS CATADORES DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS NO MUNICÍPIO DE RIBEIRÃO PIRES (SP)

Abstract

The work of waste pickers within the sorting centers has contributed to environmental actions, together with the Municipalities, since they collect solid waste from Voluntary Delivery Points (VDP) scattered on the streets, educational institutions, or public departments. These are in addition to increasing the useful life of landfills, supplying the recycling industries, and reinserting solid waste in various production chains. The National Solid Waste Policy recognizes only waste pickers inserted in associations, cooperatives, or sorting centers exercising the function of collecting, selecting, and selling materials from public and private partners. The objective of the work is to analyze how public-private partnerships can contribute to the work of the collectors of a cooperative in the city of Ribeirão Pires - São Paulo. To accomplish this, we performed exploratory research with a qualitative approach. We conducted the interviews with a scrap dealer registered at the Municipality and three employees who work at the establishment, 13 collectors from the cooperative, and a Municipality’s Environment Department representative. The results showed low education level, unemployment, excessive waste received from the municipal collection, turnover of people, and lack of support from public agencies to recognize the work of waste pickers. The following recommendations resulted as contributions of the work: more effective participation of the public power in promoting campaigns in the neighborhoods, sensitizing the population to participate in the selective collection, and a better valorization of the work of the collectors