Context.
Waste Management
and Waste Pickers
The focus of EGALITARIAN on improving solid waste management and the life waste pickers in Brasília originated due to the case of the Estrutural Dumpsite (Jóquei Controlled Landfill), which was the second-largest open-air dumpsite in the world. Located 15 km from Brazil's political center, this dumpsite operated for 60 years, serving a population of up to 5 million people. The dumpsite posed significant environmental and social challenges, including water pollution, health risks for waste pickers, atmospheric pollution, and contributions to climate change.
To address this, a working group was established, involving various entities such as the Urban Cleaning Service (SLU), to plan the dumpsite's closure, which was successfully done in 2017/2018. This group was led by the ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN member Professor Paulo Celso dos Reis Gomes, who at the time was the director of the Urban Cleaning Service company. Key steps included finding an alternative site for waste disposal and conducting a stakeholder analysis to manage the transition.
The presence of waste pickers was a significant social challenge during the closure process, as they feared losing their primary income source and, therefore, resisted with protests and other means. Measures were implemented to mitigate leaving waste pickers jobless and without income, including the establishment of waste sorting centers (CTs) where waste pickers could work professionally, as they would not be allowed to work on the new Brasília Sanitary Landfill in Samambaia. Cooperative models were introduced for waste picker operations, handling reception, sorting, pressing, storage, and sale of recyclable materials.
Despite improved working conditions, waste pickers initially faced reduced income due to the transition from accessing large volumes of waste independently at the dumpsite to a more regulated selective collection system. Enhancing selective collection and improving sorting processes are essential for increasing waste picker income and environmental benefits.
The Government of the Federal District (GDF) constructed one of Brazil's most modern recycling complexes, creating space for over 2,000 jobs for waste pickers. This included two sorting and recycling centers and a commercialization center, representing a significant advancement in urban solid waste management.
The overall waste management situation in Brasília requires improvement, with a significant portion of waste still improperly disposed of and a low recycling rate. Helping waste pickers to improve their lives while also getting recognition for their important work is also a need. Addressing these issues will involve extensive efforts, requiring environmental solutions and social inclusion for waste pickers.
In summary:
until 2017/2018, the second biggest dumsite in the world was located in Brasília, being an environmenal and social issue.
after 2017/2018, the new sanitary landfill and waste pickers sorting centers were created and implemented.
Currently, the situation is, in many ways, much better than it was when the dumpsite was there. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to make the waste management in Brasilia become truly correct and sustainable. Moreover, the life of waste pickers is still difficult and they need help in different ways. Providing this help is the focus of our ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN project.
The goal of the ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN Program is to engage students from Brazil, Portugal, Denmark and The Netherlands to create projects that can be helpful to improve the waste management and the life of waste pickers, with focus on the situation in Brasilia.
However, nationally, Brazil as a whole aims to close its remaining 3,000 open-air dumpsites, following new sanitation regulations. Therefore, all our student projects at EGALITARIAN that are appliable to the scenario in Brasilia will also be useful to addressing similar issues in many other locations.
We always look so much forward to great student projects - students can find more details in the participant guides of EGALITARIAN.
The focus of EGALITARIAN on improving solid waste management and the life waste pickers in Brasília originated due to the case of the Estrutural Dumpsite (Jóquei Controlled Landfill), which was the second-largest open-air dumpsite in the world. Located 15 km from Brazil's political center, this dumpsite operated for 60 years, serving a population of up to 5 million people. The dumpsite posed significant environmental and social challenges, including water pollution, health risks for waste pickers, atmospheric pollution, and contributions to climate change.
To address this, a working group was established, involving various entities such as the Urban Cleaning Service (SLU), to plan the dumpsite's closure, which was successfully done in 2017/2018. This group was led by the ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN member Professor Paulo Celso dos Reis Gomes, who at the time was the director of the Urban Cleaning Service company. Key steps included finding an alternative site for waste disposal and conducting a stakeholder analysis to manage the transition.
The presence of waste pickers was a significant social challenge during the closure process, as they feared losing their primary income source and, therefore, resisted with protests and other means. Measures were implemented to mitigate leaving waste pickers jobless and without income, including the establishment of waste sorting centers (CTs) where waste pickers could work professionally, as they would not be allowed to work on the new Brasília Sanitary Landfill in Samambaia. Cooperative models were introduced for waste picker operations, handling reception, sorting, pressing, storage, and sale of recyclable materials.
Despite improved working conditions, waste pickers initially faced reduced income due to the transition from accessing large volumes of waste independently at the dumpsite to a more regulated selective collection system. Enhancing selective collection and improving sorting processes are essential for increasing waste picker income and environmental benefits.
The Government of the Federal District (GDF) constructed one of Brazil's most modern recycling complexes, creating space for over 2,000 jobs for waste pickers. This included two sorting and recycling centers and a commercialization center, representing a significant advancement in urban solid waste management.
The overall waste management situation in Brasília requires improvement, with a significant portion of waste still improperly disposed of and a low recycling rate. Helping waste pickers to improve their lives while also getting recognition for their important work is also a need. Addressing these issues will involve extensive efforts, requiring environmental solutions and social inclusion for waste pickers.
In summary:
until 2017/2018, the second biggest dumsite in the world was located in Brasília, being an environmenal and social issue.
after 2017/2018, the new sanitary landfill and waste pickers sorting centers were created and implemented.
Currently, the situation is, in many ways, much better than it was when the dumpsite was there. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to make the waste management in Brasilia become truly correct and sustainable. Moreover, the life of waste pickers is still difficult and they need help in different ways. Providing this help is the focus of our ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN project.
The goal of the ERASMUS+ EGALITARIAN Program is to engage students from Brazil, Portugal, Denmark and The Netherlands to create projects that can be helpful to improve the waste management and the life of waste pickers, with focus on the situation in Brasilia.
However, nationally, Brazil as a whole aims to close its remaining 3,000 open-air dumpsites, following new sanitation regulations. Therefore, all our student projects at EGALITARIAN that are appliable to the scenario in Brasilia will also be useful to addressing similar issues in many other locations.
We always look so much forward to great student projects - students can find more details in the participant guides of EGALITARIAN.
