PET Bottle Recycling Chain Opportunities for the Generation of Employment and Income

摘要

In recent years the consumption and disposal of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has increased. After use, PET bottles can be disposed of in mixed waste or in selective waste collection to be recycled and reinserted in the production chain. PET has commercial value and employment and income are generated for very poor people who are outside the labour market. Furthermore, recycling PET bottles means that mineral oil can be saved and also avoids environmental damage. The PET collection and recycling chain is composed of various links, with their own particular logic. This article aims to identify the bottlenecks in the PET bottle recycling chain and the opportunities for generating income and employment for casual workers engaged within it. To this end, on-site interviews were held with managers of sorting units in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as well as with representatives of intermediate links and the recycling companies. We also interviewed experts in PET recycling, local NCOs that support the sector organisations and politicians with an interest in the subject. The results show that in the PET bottle recovery process there is potential to add value, reduce environmental impacts and increase the income of the workers who play a part in the chain.