Pindamonhangaba, Brazil

A partnership between the Municipality of Pindamonhangaba and the startup “Você Recicla”, which operates the reverse logistics of post-consumer packaging, encouraging recycling, comes to contribute to the promotion of the circular economy and prevent recyclables from ending up in the landfill. The recycling station unites consumer goods companies and the government in efforts to recover waste, helping to solve the problem of domestic waste. In addition, it brings income growth opportunities for professionals who work with recycling and serves as an incentive for consumers to engage with the cause. The project provides that, from the application, the consumer himself locates the nearest recycling box, taking his recyclable solid waste – which must be clean and separated. Once weighed, they are converted into credits that can be exchanged for rewards (cash in account or bonuses), made available in an application or partnerships established with retailers and services.

The ”Nature Conservator” Program was launched in Pindamonhangaba, an initiative of municipal management, through the Secretariat of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture, aimed at rural properties in the municipality. The objective of the program is to recognize and support the rural landowner in his/her important role as a provider of environmental services essential to life, maintaining, restoring or improving the environmental conditions of ecosystems. The program, which was approved through Municipal Law nº 6504, intends to benefit landowners qualified by the Program to receive: technical support, service support and financial support related to the payment of environmental services (PSA) to rural landowners who adapt their properties sustainably.

The Municipality of Pindamonhangaba, through the Social Solidarity Fund, started the “Community Garden” project. The objective is to provide the use of public space so that 30 needy families can daily plant, care for and consume their own production. According to the president of the Social Fund, Cláudia Vieira Domingues, the project has the support of the departments of Environment, Culture and Tourism, Government and Public Services and the Municipality of Moreira César and of several companies that collaborated with donations of seeds, fertilizer and dung. The intention of municipal administration is to expand the project to other regions of the municipality through a social project aimed at food production, healthy eating and community participation in areas close to their homes, promoting social inclusion and food security.

The Pindamonhangaba sanitary landfill ended its activities after 34 years of operation. Now, the municipal administration, through the Secretariat of the Environment, is studying the possibilities of using the space. The mayor, Dr. Isael Domingues, wants the elaboration of a proposal for the occupation of the space that meets the regulations of the responsible environmental agency, Cetesb. Several initiatives in different parts of the world are being carried out in this direction, transforming previously degraded landscapes into parks, squares or green spaces.

Pindamonhangaba created the PEV, Voluntary Delivery Point, the purpose of the PEV is to be a place for the correct disposal of useless materials, such as construction rubble, pruning remains, furniture and domestic equipment, in addition to batteries, lamps and kitchen, which will be directed to recycling.
The objective is to facilitate the population’s access to the correct disposal of solid waste, aiming to improve public cleaning and give the materials an environmentally appropriate destination. Currently, the municipality has eight units of PEVs, strategically spread throughout the city.