Recicleiros

Recycling in Brazil is often seen as an economically unviable activity.  Prices for post-consumer recyclable (PCR) materials are too low to cover collection costs. Recicleiros, an Alliance-funded NGO, is working to shift this perception. For nearly two decades, it has been at the forefront of developing systemic solutions for recycling in Brazil — exploring new business models that make waste management more inclusive and sustainable.

Since 2019, Recicleiros has established 14 sorting centres across small and medium-sized cities in Brazil, bringing recycling programmes to these communities for the first time.

It started with a pilot in Ceará and has since developed into a tried-and-tested waste management model. The organisation intends to grow this model to reach 60 cities throughout Brazil, with goals to generate 3,000 new jobs and process at least 30,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Another important component of Recicleiros’ work is integrating informalwaste pickers into formal recycling systems — empowering them by formalising their roles and offering better working conditions. This includes providing waste pickers with training, technical support, and resources.

Recicleiros has also launched the Waste Worker Development Centre (Núcleo de Desenvolvimento do Catador), establishing the Recicleiros Waste Worker Academy (Academia do Catador), a free online learning platform that offers technical and professional training paths for informal waste pickers.

Other initiatives include the Recyclable Material Sorting Centre (Unidadede Processamento de Materiais Recicláveis), which operates as a social enterprise that focuses on the recycling of post-consumer solid waste. The centre also conducts educational programmes to raise awareness of recycling best practices, including educating local communities about theimportance of proper waste sorting and segregation. This community education is based on the philosophy that recycling is an act of belonging— actions residents can take to have cleaner neighbourhoods.

In 2024, Recicleiros focused on building economically sustainable sortingcentres. These centres recover recyclable materials from household and municipal waste streams, bringing them to the market for recycling. While the project made progress, it also faced significant challenges. Thecost of maintaining these centres, including paying minimum wages and providing personal protective equipment (PPE), is high, while prices for recyclable materials have remained stagnant.

To address these challenges, Recicleiros has been working on establishing contracts with municipalities to fund recycling services under a shared economic responsibility model — municipalities manage collection and transportation, while the private sector handles processingand disposal. Since many municipalities struggle with budgeting for suchservices, Recicleiros launched the Cidades programme to provide technical support, investment, and value-chain connections.

By convening the actors in the plastics value chain, the project helps local authorities create inclusive, high impact, and economically viable recycling systems at speed and scale. Cities must apply to be involved, passing a rigorous qualification process that takes into account their infrastructure, resources, capability, as well as their long-term commitment.

Despite funding challenges, the project has made some progress. Its future success relies on continued cooperation between municipalities and the private sector to ensure fair pricing and adequate funding for recycling.