Waste pickers and public policies to face the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

This work is the result of research associated with university extension, with part of the solidarity economic enterprises (EES) of recycling, in the State of Minas Gerais, served by the Ambiente-se Extension Program, of UFJF-GV, existing since the year 2017. In total, 11 solidarity economic enterprises (EES) are monitored, in 9 municipalities. Objective: Historicize how the phenomenon of the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus pandemic, which caused the Covid-19 pandemic, was experienced by waste pickers organized in associations and recycling cooperatives, considering both the organization internal to the enterprise, on the one hand, as well as the relationship with state institutions and civil society, on the other. Methodology: It was based on documentary and bibliographical research, in addition to the analysis of secondary data produced by governmental or private institutions operating in the recycling and reverse logistics sector. Originality/Relevance: Proposes an original approach when evaluating how public solid waste management policies, as opposed to actions or inactions during the pandemic period, affected the recycling production chain. Results: The work discusses the impact and responses produced to combat the health emergency. At the end, it discusses the relationship between the production chain and the activity of waste pickers, highlighting how the model that depends heavily on these workers has brought perverse results by not investing in and not valuing work at the basis of the production process. Theoretical/methodological contributions: The work contributes to the discussion about the Solidarity Economy and Public Administration in the management of post-consumer solid waste. Social/management contributions: Contributes to the maturation of knowledge about how institutional relationships are processed in this field and for organized civil society.