Investigation to support the structuring of recycling activities at Ilha Grande dos Marinheiros

Abstract

The Ilha Grande dos Marinheiros (IGM), placed in an archipelago os 16 islands in Delta do Rio Jacuí,  Porto Alegre (RS), is a historic scenary of attempts to build and re-build the dignity of residents who mostly sustain themselves from the collection, separation, and sale of solid wastes. In the 80’s of the last century, collectors of the IGM tried to get their own shed to sort what they collect,as they store the wastes in the courtyards of their residences, which bring situations of health and environmental risks. Regardless some advancemewnt in the beginning of the 90’s, the organization of the collectors remained precarious due to changes of public policies. As in 2008, the municipal government decided to slowly eliminate the circulation of animal-drawn and human-drawn vehicles, establishing a schedule for decomissioning these activities, year by year. Such situation widely constrained the work of the IGM collectors. In 2014, other law determined that the activities of collection and sorting keep on the exclusive responsibility of the public municipal management. The collectors consider such initiative as a type of criminalization of their activities. Besides, the building of a New Bridge over the Guaiba Lake, finished in 2019, brought more instability to the local residents. In face of so many difficulties, the current work investigated a recycling cooperative considered in good management as form to propose ideas to the IGM collectors organization. Economic, and socioeconomis indicators were raised to support the attempt or reorganize these workers.