Waste pickers collect 90% of recyclables, says Tião Santos.

What is trash and what is waste? With this reflection, teachers, students and employees of IMPA attended, this Monday (22), the lecture by Sebastião Carlos dos Santos, known as Tião Santos, CEO of 3Rs Consultoria and president of the Association of Waste Pickers of Jardim Gramacho. The lecture was organized by the Internal Commission for Accident Prevention (CIPA) and shown in the Ricardo Mañé auditorium with transmission via the internet.

Santos is a former recyclable material collector in Jardim Gramacho, which for over 30 years housed the largest landfill in Latin America, until it was closed in 2012. In 2010, the now-businessman was the protagonist of the documentary "Waste Land," directed by João Jardim, Karen Harley, and Lucy Walker. The film, which portrays the lives of the Gramacho workers, was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary and won an award at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival. Since its worldwide impact, Tião has been telling his story and that of the collectors in lectures at schools, universities, and companies.

During the virtual meeting at IMPA, he spoke about the progress achieved by the National Solid Waste Law of 2010 and by policies that followed the law. The lecture addressed topics related to sustainability, recycling, and shared responsibility for waste between the public sector, the private sector, and civil society. The businessman also recounted his history of fighting for the recognition of the work of waste pickers, due to the social, economic, and environmental relevance of this role.

“Waste is a material that has no importance in our society. The word waste is defined as any worthless material, dirt, filth, something evil, the lowest stratum of society, scum or dregs. We need to redefine the importance of waste, combat wastefulness and value the recycling professional,” the speaker highlighted.

Currently, according to Santos, about 20% of discarded waste is recycled, but the amount of potentially recyclable material reaches 40%. And practically all the waste that goes to recycling today passes through the hands of waste pickers. “We are responsible for 90% of recycling, and most of this material is still collected in landfills, mixed with organic waste. It's not enough to put out bins for people to separate their trash; it's necessary to teach and raise awareness about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling,” stated Tião Santos.

The lecture, led by Rodrigo Resende from the Coordination of Events and Scientific Activities, was also an opportunity to encourage the academic community to participate in IMPA's recycling program. To help the waste pickers at the Jardim Gramacho landfill, CIPA is collecting donations of non-perishable food, personal hygiene products, and bottled water. The materials should be delivered by next Friday to the collection point at reception.