THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF COLLECTORS OF RECYCLABLE MATERIALS IN ASSOCIATION OF MAMBORÊ-PR

Abstract

Data of Entrepreneurial Commitment for Recycling - CEMPRE (2012) show that 32.3% of brazilian municipalities have a program, project or action of garbage collection activity, while 42.7% of the cities there is no initiatives and 25% have projects under development. In this context, the collectors of recyclable materials perform a very important job in the urban cleaning system, working on the collection of materials for recycling, so that they are not sent to open dumps or even shortening the life of landfills, besides providing the generation of employment and income for this segment of the population of these municipalities. The works consists of collecting, transporting, segregating, bottle and sell the materials next to a recycling plant. However, this activity is, normally, carried out informally, preventing access to a number of labor rights. Given this reality, the present study aimed to investigate the working conditions of waste pickers who work in the county of Mamborê-PR. The completion of the work occurred from the qualitative study with semi-structured interviews with all pickers organized in association, preserving anonymity. Held literature, site visits and photographic record where taken in order to know the stages of solid waste management in which these individuals are involved. The data collected showed the absence of the state as the appreciation of the work done by collectors. Because it is the only alternative source of income and survival, these workers end up neglecting the risks and getting used the mundane tasks of the profession.