Sustainable initiatives that directly pay waste pickers without intermediaries increase urban workers’ income and boost recycling in São Paulo, transforming solid waste management and promoting the circular economy.
Direct access to the recycling value chain has transformed the financial reality of independent workers and reinforced sustainability goals in major metropolises. In São Paulo, reverse logistics projects that eliminate middlemen are allowing waste pickers’ incomes to more than double, encouraging community participation in materials collection.
The socio-environmental impact of this shift is reflected in the budgets of professionals who have worked in the sector for decades. By receiving fair prices aligned with those practiced by transformation industries, workers who previously earned between R$ 1,500 and R$ 2,000 a month from cardboard and plastic now exceed the R$ 3,000 mark.
The advancement of this model reinforces the fundamental role of the circular economy, converting tons of solid waste that would otherwise be improperly disposed of into direct economic resources for the local population.
Waste valuation and elimination of intermediaries
The model implemented by Estação Preço de Fábrica, an initiative by Green Mining, buys recyclables directly from the population and waste pickers. One of the beneficiaries is David Max André, who has worked in the sector since 1994. He has delivered more than 20 tons of materials to the collection point, securing cumulative earnings of R$ 13,000 throughout his deliveries.
The price they pay for the material is something the middleman never pays us.
The price difference even encourages the collection of materials historically undervalued in the informal market, such as glass. Edmundo Buzzo Filho, 73, found a new occupation in the project after retirement. He used to sell glass for just R$ 0.05 per kilo to intermediaries. At the station, the price ranges from R$ 0.27 to R$ 0.65 per kilo, depending on the color of the bottle.
Operational transformation and collection expansion
The increase in profitability allowed Edmundo Buzzo Filho to continuously invest in his transportation logistics, evolving from collecting in a vintage Fusca without the back seats to a small trailer, then a Kombi, and currently a Fiorino, while keeping plans to purchase a small truck. He has already delivered over 66 tons of materials to the station, generating revenue of more than R$ 33,000.
The whole city leaves glass at my door. Staying home watching television and playing dominoes is no way to live, right?
Community engagement and impact on family income
The initiative also encourages residents to set up community selective collection networks. Débora dos Santos Silva, 54, started by sorting materials from her own home and expanded her activities to her apartment building and partner commercial establishments. Her weekly earnings, which started at R$ 20, reached a monthly average of R$ 450, totaling R$ 10,000 received for delivering 16 tons of waste.
You are well treated, it’s well located, it’s in a safe place. I think that is very important for a woman.
In addition to physical safety and proper customer service at the units, the project offers training on the correct sorting of packaging.
In the southern zone of São Paulo, in the Jabaquara neighborhood, Edna Rodrigues Lemos, 58, uses a bicycle to transport materials collected along her route to the unit. The technical guidance helps add value to materials gathered along the way, such as PET bottles and long-life packaging.
You can combine the two things: business with pleasure.
Financial inclusion and traceability in the circular economy
The Estação Preço de Fábrica units receive various types of solid waste, including glass, paper, cardboard, long-life packaging, and PET and HDPE plastics. All deliveries are weighed and rigorously recorded to ensure traceability back to recycling industries. Financial inclusion is guaranteed through PIX payments made directly to registered individuals whenever their balance reaches R$ 10. Since the operation began, the project has paid R$ 6.9 million directly to the people who brought materials to the facilities.
The direct valorization of labor in waste collection is consolidating as an essential pillar for accelerating urban sustainability. By properly remunerating workers and integrating the community into the circular economy chain, innovative reverse logistics initiatives prove that combating improper disposal goes hand in hand with social inclusion and socioeconomic development.
