Since 2019, Recicleiros, in partnership with the Alliance, has started 14 sorting centres in small to medium-sized cities in Brazil, bringing recycling to these communities for the first time.

What started as a pilot in the Brazilian state of Ceará has evolved into a tried-and-tested waste management model that Recicleiros aims to scale to 60 cities across Brazil by 2027, create 3,000 new jobs and recycle at least 30,000 tonnes of plastic waste across the country annually.

To date, more than 84,000 people have received access to new or improved waste management services.

It all begins with a sign-up – cities keen to set up sustainable waste management services apply for the Recicleiros' Cidades programme, entering a qualification process. The qualification process is rigorous, taking into consideration not just the infrastructure, resources, and capabilities of each city, but also its commitment to carry the project through in fostering the behaviour change needed at the household level. Once cities are qualified, Recicleiros facilitates the knowledge and investments necessary to set up and manage a localised sorting centre, including partnering with formalised cooperatives to ensure long-term sustainability.

The sorting centres function as critical connectors between the various players along the plastics value chain, laying the pathway for an inclusive, high-impact, and economically viable system. They provide direct employment and income opportunities for waste workers, or catadores, which better their lives. They also help bridge the gap between supply and demand for recovered materials, filling a gap in the market for recyclates sought after by local and international brand owners.

Work is underway to franchise the model in another six Brazilian cities to complete the project's first phase. Meanwhile, the search has started for the next batch of 20 cities to kick off the second phase.

The impact of Cidades will be wide-reaching, going well beyond just cleaner cities. Over the coming years, Recicleiros aims to continue to bring together municipal governments, waste collectors, businesses, and citizens to increase recycling rates and reduce household waste going to landfills, making more recyclables available for sale to recyclers.

In Brazil, the demand for post-consumer recyclables is expected to grow significantly in line with regulatory changes. Two new decrees passed by the federal government in Brazil in February 2023 will further advance Recicleiros’ objectives and the outcomes for the workers employed in its facilities. The first regulates several reverse logistics credits at the federal level, giving focus to increasing investments in new infrastructure, while prioritising cooperatives and waste pickers. The second reinstates the "Pró-Catador" programme, an interdisciplinary committee aimed at socioeconomic inclusion of waste pickers, which was previously stopped in 2020.

The new regulations build on the impact that Cidades is having, both environmentally and socially – safeguarding the environment while uplifting some of the most vulnerable members of Brazilian society. In bringing waste pickers back to the forefront of the discussion, initiatives for socioeconomic advancement becomes more possible on a local level and beyond.