In recent times, one of the greatest challenges facing municipal management is finding viable
solutions for solid waste management and, from this perspective, cooperatives of recyclable
material collectors are included, as proposed by the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) -
Law no. 12,305, of August 2, 2010. The municipality of Belém (PA) currently has ten
associations and/or cooperatives of recyclable material collectors. This context includes the
Filhos do Sol Cooperative and the Belém Selective Collectors Work Cooperative (ACCSB),
which are the subject of this study. The participation of recycling cooperatives is fundamental
to the implementation of PNRS, although they are often neglected by municipal management.
It is intended, within the limits of this study, to answer the following question. What are the
structural and/or organizational obstacles that prevent or hinder the expansion of recyclable
materials cooperatives? In order to answer this question, the main objective of the research is
to identify the obstacles that limit the expansion of cooperatives and how to overcome them.
The methodology adopted will be exploratory in nature, with a qualitative and quantitative
approach. As results of qualitative and quantitative research, it was found that the process of
implementing public policies for recyclable collectors constitutes a highly complex,
transversal and comprehensive task, with a long path that needs to be systematic, continuous
and aligned with strategic planning of municipal public management. It should be noted that
the Cataforte and Pró-Catador projects were decisive for the socioeconomic inclusion of
recyclable material collectors. It is noted that it was possible to identify projects and actions
aimed at waste picker organizations, although the remuneration for the daily services provided
to society and the municipality are still far from guaranteeing their sustainability. It is
noteworthy that cooperatives that do not have formal registration, that is, are not regularized
with the competent bodies, present difficulties when selling recyclables. The quantitative data
identified that the percentage of female collectors is (55%), which reflects the national
average, which corresponds to (56%). It is noteworthy that cooperatives do not yet have the
economic and financial sustainability to be competitive in the recycling market. Finally, the
need for an action plan aimed at providing improvements in the work of cooperatives was
identified.
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