Organizational Capacity of Recycling Cooperatives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Capstone team worked on the first phase of an international initiative, sponsored by United Towns Organization (UTO), to promote recycling activities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Small cooperatives organize unskilled scavengers who collect recyclable materials from a variety of sources, such as landfills, street corners and apartment buildings. The Capstone team combined topical research with field work and analyzed the organizational capacity of these cooperatives. The Capstone team found that primary barriers to successful growth of these organizations are the capital and financial obligations they hold with the local solid waste management agency and intermediaries, as well as the problems endemic to the scavenger population, such as illiteracy and substance abuse. To overcome these obstacles, the Capstone team recommended the creation of a central cooperative to function as an educational, financial and administrative clearinghouse and support center.