World Resources Institute reports on how light electric vehicles are improving working conditions for catadores

Source: World Resource Institute

Rafaela Aires starts her workday at 9:00 a.m., cycling through city streets along the Atlantic shoreline and under concrete overpasses. Previously, Aires collected bottles and cardboard in a hand-drawn cart. Today, they are transported in an electric tricycle’s cargo container as she moves through bike lanes.

As a long-standing catadora, or waste picker, in Fortaleza, Brazil, Aires recalls the social stigma surrounding her profession. Many catadores, like Musamara Pereira, have faced derogatory terms, such as “vulture” or “trash ripper,” and were not widely recognized as professionals. However, the work of catadores is crucial in Fortaleza, a city with limited waste and recycling infrastructure. Approximately 8,000 catadores operate informally, managing much of the city’s waste collection and recycling by selling collected materials to third parties.

Despite some efforts by the government to formalize this profession, catadores often face hazardous working conditions. Many work up to 18 hours a day, moving loads as heavy as 240 kilograms in hand-drawn carts, with their income varying based on what they can collect and sell. Monthly earnings for an average waste picker in Fortaleza are around R$300 (US$53).

The city’s limited recycling facilities contribute to accumulating rubbish on streets, only 6% of recyclables were processed in 2023, leaving areas cluttered with waste. According to a local restaurant owner, waste often remains part of the cityscape.

In recent years, Fortaleza’s waste management practices have seen incremental improvements due to Re-Ciclo, a project launched by the city’s Innovation Laboratory. This initiative, aimed at enhancing recycling and catadores’ working conditions, has introduced a fleet of electric tricycles to support door-to-door collection for the first time.

Re-Ciclo: Addressing Fortaleza’s waste challenges

Re-Ciclo seeks to improve Fortaleza’s recycling capacity and uplift its catadores. Through this initiative, catadores now collect recyclables along specific routes, stopping at homes and businesses that have requested pick-ups. The collected recyclables are taken to “Eco-Points,” centralised collection centres, where waste is sorted and prepared for sale to recycling intermediaries.

The program has also aimed to improve catadores’ working conditions. Electric tricycles enable workers like Raquel Silva, president of the Moura Brasil Waste Pickers Association, to complete 10-16 pick-ups in the time it previously took to complete 3-4 with a hand-drawn cart. Re-Ciclo tracks the recyclables collected along each route, allowing catadores to negotiate more stable pay based on collected data. Most workers now receive up to five times their previous income and benefit from transportation and meal vouchers, supporting better working conditions.

Developing Re-Ciclo with waste worker input

Re-Ciclo began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic when Fortaleza’s government sought to support catadores unable to work. The city’s Innovation Laboratory (LABIFOR) integrated catadores’ feedback to improve the design and implementation of the initiative. Through consultations, they developed the Eco-Points and introduced e-tricycles tailored to waste pickers’ needs, including lighter, more manoeuvrable designs that can carry up to 150 kilograms and operate at double the speed of hand-drawn carts. LABIFOR also provided personal protective equipment and training for catadores, addressing safety and operational needs.

To increase recycling participation, the city launched an app allowing residents to request pick-ups, while those outside service routes can bring waste directly to Eco-Points. Education campaigns further encouraged recycling among residents and businesses.

Scaling Re-Ciclo for broader impact

Since its launch, Re-Ciclo’s e-tricycles have helped transport 380 tons of recyclables in their first full year, contributing to a 541% increase in Fortaleza’s recycling rate. Luiz Alberto Sabóia, head of Fortaleza’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Foundation (CITINOVA), described it as a significant step for the city’s selective waste collection.

The program has also improved local perceptions of waste pickers, with residents increasingly engaging with catadores and using Re-Ciclo’s services.

Moving forward, Fortaleza plans to expand Re-Ciclo to 150 e-tricycles by December 2024, providing jobs for more than 200 catadores across all city districts. LABIFOR is also exploring solar-powered tricycles to further enhance efficiency. Re-Ciclo’s success has inspired neighboring cities and aligns with Brazil’s national waste management goals, which aim for 48% of waste to reach recycling centers by 2040.