Mapeamento da Logística de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos e a Formação em Educação Ambiental e Economia Solidária de Agentes Ambientais da Associação Fraget e de Catadores de Resíduos Sólidos

Abstract

The Núcleo de Economia Solidária of the Instituto Federal Sul-Rio-grandense (NESOL/IFSUL) localized in Pelotas/RS did this research between 2011 and 2012. The aim was to identify the recyclable waste’s roadmap through the material sold by binners to the Associação FRAGET, which nowadays is called Cooperativa de Trabalho dos Agentes Ambientais do FRAGET (COOTAFRA), which is a recycling center. Three students from the Environmental Technology Programs of IFSul visited 51 the recycling center for 20 days and interviewed 41 binners. After the research has been concluded, the NESOL’s team offered a workshop for the interviewed people and FRAGET’s members about Environmental Education and Social Economy because most of the interviewed people (59%) said that they would like to learn more about these subjects. To obtain the results, the work team has developed a survey tool and used notes which were taken in a work diary. The questionnaire had had questions about the binners’ solid waste collection routine, kinds and quantity of collected material, and acquaintances about the binners’ work experiences. According to the research’s results, most of the binners have learned something with their job (84%) and would look for some help concerning recycling if they had any doubt (61%). Besides the survey tool, the work diary was useful to register additional information. For example, the workshop’s subjects about importance of recycling and garbage man’s role in the community were got through the demands observed during the interviews. The research was done in the following five steps: team training, working tools’ development, application of the survey tool and data analysis, workshop event, and, lastly, research’s continuing possibility analysis. The research’s results shows that low educational level, unsuccessful former jobs and declining age were the main pointed reasons by the interviewed people as the cause for being at their actual social and economic situation. Considering the aim of this research, Pelotas has non-governmental and governmental organizations that have legal commitments with Brazilian legislation such as the Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos, which supports binners’ and recycling’ programs in the country. Therefore, this research is very important to provide information about the binners’ interests in self-organization in associative groups or cooperatives and participation on programs offered by the government latterly.