The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

LIXO NOBRE

DOES THE CLOSURE OF JARDIM GRAMACHO PRESENTS NEW

OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WORKING COMMUNITY IN THE LANDFILL?

Imagining Brazil in History and in Culture (29333)

Prof. James N. Green

Lior Krengel, 300915709

Introduction:

After 34 years of functioning as Latin America's largest landfill, Rio de

Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho closed up in June 3rd, 2012. This decision has a main and

direct effect on two forces: the image of the city of Rio de Janeiro and the working

community in the landfill, the "pickers of recyclable material" who are better known

as "Catadores".

The closure of Jardim Gramacho, a governmental act, seems on one hand to

be assisting the Catardores, who have been going through a process of change in the

last decade, in accomplishing their goals. This might be an opportunity for better

work and life conditions as well as social inclusion. On the other hand, it can be

interpreted as an act that actually cause harm to this group of people, emphasizing

and deepening social inequalities in Rio de Janeiro's society.

In this essay, I attempt to determine whether the closure of Jardim Gramacho

is a beneficial or harmful act for the workers in the landfill. I will first describe the

process of transformation and change that the Catadores have been leading and

going through in the last decade. Then, I will briefly mention the city's motivation to

close the site. I will also present the compensation that the Municipality is offering to

the Catadores. Finally, I will discuss whether this is an opportunity or a not for this

community.

I will conclude that although theoretically the Catadores should benefit of

the decision, this is only true for the very short term and only for some of them. In

reality, no real practical opportunity is being offered by the Municipality. Most

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importantly, the loss of the Catadores' communal identity as a result of Jardim

Gramacho's closure is priceless.

Jardim Gramacho:

In 1978, the city of Rio de Janeiro began unloading waste into a site called

"Metropolitan Landfill of Gramacho", better known as "Jardim Gramacho". Until its

closure, 80% of Rio de Janeiro's municipalities' waste arrived at the site. The landfill

received daily 9,000 tons of trash. During the day, 1,700 people worked at the place.

There is no precise data regarding the activity at the site during the night but a

similar number is estimated.1

Back in 1978, no system was implanted in order to prevent leachate of the

toxic waste from contaminating the ground water. During the 1980's, COMLURB -

Rio's waste management company - stopped covering deposited waste with a layer

of soil. Since there was no piping system that would trap and burn off methane gas

from beneath the surface, fires erupted often.2

In 1996, COMLURB sub-contracted another company to recuperate the site.

As a result, a clear perimeter was set to the site, waste was covered daily and pipes

would burn off methane gas. Nevertheless, as the site was not initially lined,

Brazilian law designated that the waste disposal site in Jardim Gramacho is not a

sanitary landfill but a controlled landfill. While this title was good enough back then,

it was not a sufficient excuse, legally speaking, to keep the site opened when this

was suggested lately.

1Comunidade COEP. (2005). Jardim Gramacho: Diagnóstico Social. Rio de Janeiro: iBase. Pg 15-17.

2 Ibid, Pg 26-27.

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While 1996 can be seen as a turning point from an environmental aspect, the

year of 2004 is without a doubt a milestone in terms of the human organization of

Jardim Gramacho. Until then, the workers in Jardim Gramacho had no organization

that would represent their voice. COMLURB, which was supposed to also improve

the work conditions along with the environmental setting, only took care of a very

small portion of the workers.

In 2004, the national organization MNCR (Movimento Nacional dos Catadores

de Matérias Reciclaveis) was funded, an act that led to a formal registration of the

workers, assuring in this way that certain criteria would be met. Along with its great

legal importance, the organization also gave to the workers, for the first time, the

sense of an organized work. They were no longer only individuals working in the

same area, but a community of people, sharing common rights and obligations.3

The foundation of MNCR was an inspirational act for some of Jardim

Gramacho's workers, which eventually founded a workers' association called

ACAMJG (Associação dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho).

The association was founded with the first rumors on the closure of Jardim

Gramacho. Its first efforts were in preventing this action, as well as maintaining the

Catadores informed of the process. This local activity surely added to the Catadores

sense of community.

Another aspect that has improved over the years was the workers' self-

perception. Literally, the word "catadores" means "collectors". It is a shortened form

3 Ibid, pg 25-30.

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of "catadores de matéria reciclável ("collectors of recyclable material"), which is the

term adopted and promoted by the MNCR4 and by many catadores. However, many

people of the general public in Brazil continue to refer to Catadores as "'catadores de

lixo" ("collectors of garbage").5

Piza and Rosemberg describe in their article when referring to color

classification, that "the historical and social contexts (...) are reflected in the terms

used."6 Similarly, the term "catadores" has evolved historically and can vary in

different parts of Brazil, depending on historical moments, as well as context. At the

very beginning, the Catadores were called xepeiros, a degrading term for a beggar or

someone who does peculiar jobs. As the image of the Catadores began improving,

due to some actions that I'll refer to in the next sections, the terminology used to

describe their work has improved too. The word "catadores" avoids derogatory

terms commonly used such as "scavenger", "garbage picker" and "rag picker".

Catadores in Jardim Gramcho call the objects that they collect "material" and

distinguish it from the category of "garbage". These categories are quite flexible,

depending on the market in recyclables.

Millar gives the example of the global economic crisis in 2008. During that

period, the price of cardboard dropped rapidly over the course of three weeks from

20 cents a kilo to 7 cents. The price became so low that no scrap dealer in Jardim

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5 Millar Kathleen M. (2011). Reclaiming the Discarded: The Politics of Labor and Everyday Life on Rio's Garbage Dump. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Brown, Providence, Rhode Island. Pg 16-17.

6 Piza Edith, Rosemberg Fúlvia. (1999). Color in the Brazilian Census. In Reichmann Rebecca, Race in Contemporary Brazil. United State of America: The Pennsylvania State University Press. Pg 37.

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Gramacho was willing to buy cardboard. And so, cardboard was no longer "material"

and became "garbage".7

This example also shows how much the Catadores understand their work as

an act of recovering what is valuable from the core of waste. It also proves that their

job is beyond a simple separation and organization of garbage; it actually requires

specific skills and learning process. This understanding does not allow the term

"garbage collecting" to be used any longer.

As I attempted to show in this section, Jardim Gramacho functioning has

improved along the years. The changes in the organizational structure of the landfill

have also led to an improvement in the self-image of the workers in the site.

Another motivational force that should not be left out is the exposure and

increasing awareness of the Brazilian and International public of the Jardim

Gramacho. One important example of that would the documentary film "Waste

Land"8 by Vick Muniz that tells the life story of the Catadores in Jardim Gramacho

and brings the whole world's awareness to it. Muniz successfully present the

Catadores as human beings with dignity, strongly differentiating them from the

materials that they deal with on a daily basis.

The Closure of Jardim Gramacho by Rio de Janeiro's Municipality:

Jardim Gramacho's closure was postponed several times, and was slated to

finally take place just weeks before the United Nations' Rio+20 mega-conference on

7 Millar, ibid.,Pg 18.8 Aynsley, Agnus, & Walker, Lucy. (2012). Waste Land [Documentary film]. United States.

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sustainable development. It also comes as the city is preparing to host the 2014

World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics.

The closure of the site is an attempt of setting an environmental example:

substituting an untreated open facility for a modern waste treatment plant.

According to the plan, the dump will be transformed into a vast facility that will

harness the greenhouse gases generated by the rotting rubbish and turn them into

fuel. The petroleum company Petroobras will purchase the gas and use it to run one

of its refineries. The sludge from the decomposing trash will be treated and turned

into recycled water. The landfill will eventually be turned into a park.

While there is no doubt of the potential environmental benefits of the

closure, less clear is what will happen to the Catadores who worked in the area.

According to the city of Rio, the cooperative and city officials negotiated more than

$11 million as severance to be split among those workers who could prove they had

been working at the site for the last few years. The severance, paid by the company

responsible for the harvesting of the methane gas, is being paid to more than 1,600

workers.

The cooperative has also set up a fund that will, for the next 14 years, provide

funding for projects to educate the workers and provide them with tools to continue

working on the field of recycling. The fund will also provide for classes if workers

want to pursue another trade or career. Finally, part of the proceeds from the

methane sales will be dedicated to rehabilitating the 'favelas' around the landfill.9

9 Blore (2012, May 30). The closing of Gramacho, Latin-America's largest landfill, leaves garbage

pickers with an uncertain future. O Globo. Retrieved July 27, 2012.

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Discussion: Opportunity or Damage?

In theory, the closure of Jardim Gramacho seems like a well-planned action.

On paper, it covers both environmental and social important issues. Rio de Janeiro's

Mayor, Eduardo Paes, has referred to the closure as an end to "the crime that Rio

has committed for the last forty years". He also defined it as a changing lives´

decision.10

According to the plan described earlier, it does appear to be a life changing

action. New opportunities are offered to the Catadores. They will finally have a

chance to work in safe conditions and will no longer be exposed to diseases on a

daily basis. While they acquire new skills for a better future, a fine amount of money

will be transferred to ensure survival. However, it is not as clear as it seems to be

whether this change is truly for better. Since a lower life standard in this case usually

means the most severe poverty, it is crucial to understand what exactly the potential

of the change is.

As the history of Brazil has shown before, sometimes a change that seems to

be promising in the 'Macro' level is not as favorable when examined in the 'Micro'

level. As a plan, it all "sounds good". The real question is whether the people who

work in Jardim Gramacho today can really benefit out of it or perhaps, once again,

the people at the bottom of the Brazilian social pyramid will actually be harmed?

10 Brocchetto, Ansari. (2012, June 5). Landfill's closure changing lives in Rio. CNN. Retrieved July 27,

2012, from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/05/world/americas/brazil-landfill-closure/index.html

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When closely examining the profile of the Catadores in Jardim Gramacho, it is

notable that in most cases, a professional course is not realistically a relevant option.

Most of them do not primary school education and cannot read or write. Many have

been working in the field for decades and lack the basic skills required for a learning

process. The acquiring of a new profession is still possible, in my opinion; however

the process should be more gradual and longer than what a one-time payment of

14,000 Reais allows.

Although many of the Catadores would earn just about the monthly

minimum wage of 600 Reais, many others have become professional in the

collection of recyclable material. These workers have managed earning up to 3,000

Reais a month. For them, the money offered is a ticking clock, providing them only

with a few months to become acclimatized to their new life. For those who have

been working in Jardim Gramacho for decades, sometimes already as a second

generation, a few months are simply not sufficient.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, only about half of the Catadores in

Jardim Gramacho will receive any of the above. As already mentioned, only

registered workers are included in this project and out of 3,000 workers – only 1,700

are meeting these initial criteria. Furthermore, in order to receive the compensation,

the Catadores must open a bank account. A task that may seem simple becomes

harder when remembering the rate of illiteracy among this community.

Vick Muniz refers in the beginning of his documentary to the Catadores in

Jardim Gramacho as "the type of individuals that are in Brazilian society not different

than the garbage itself". This comment is particularly important when discussing the

integration of these people into the Brazilian society, as should happen now with the

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closure of the landfill. This community was not only separated from society, it was

excluded of it. This fact emphasizes the extent to which the process of integration is

potentially hard. When the city of Rio claims to assist and facilitate this procedure

but doesn’t necessarily accomplish this statement, the whole idea of social inclusion

becomes less and less realistic and achievable.

Conclusion: Loss of Identity

While studying the case of Jardim Gramacho, I found myself inevitably

comparing this local case study to what I already know about the abolition of Slavery

in Brazil. Although these two events happen in very different scales, some

similarities are salient. The presentation of Rio de Janeiro's Mayer of Jardim

Gramacho as a crime is perhaps a good starting point in understanding the

resemblance.

When a human phenomenon is addressed in such vague terms, it can't at the

same time be considerate enough in its approach towards the individuals involved.

The abolition of Slavery in Brazil was also officially announced one day. Perhaps

some actions were taken to show outwardly that a thoughtful process was

implanted, while in fact no real attempt for social inclusion was really made.

In the case of Jardim Gramacho, only thousands of people are directly

affected by what is presented to be an opportunity for them and in reality is a great

uncertainty if not a true life risk.

Another important factor is the psychological consequences of the closure of

the landfill. As mentioned earlier, the workers in Jardim Gramacho have gone

through a bonding process over the last decade. The organized work, the changes in

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terminology and the Media involvement have resulted in a better and stronger

communal self-esteem. As Millar puts it, their work became, although painful, a

liberating force.11 As the collection of recyclable material became trendy over the

years, their work also became more and more valuable and practically an expertise.

Due to the combination of geographical and social exclusion, the people in

Jardim Gramacho created their own social acceptance, and grew up into a

community. To me, the loss of the communal identity that is caused by the closure of

the landfill is perhaps the worst implication of all.

Bibliography

Agencia Estado (2012, June 3). Lixão de Jardim Gramacho é fechado no

Rio de Janeiro. Veja. Retrieved July 27, 2012, from

http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/brasil/lixao-de-jardim-gramacho-e-

fechado-no-rio-de-janeiro

11 Millar, ibid, pg 145-146.

11

Aynsley, Agnus, & Walker, Lucy. (2012). Waste Land [Documentary film].

United States.

Barchfield, Jenny. (2012, June 1). Rio closes its massive Jardim Gramacho

dump. Yahoo!. Retrieved July 27, 2012, from

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/rio-closes-massive-jardim-gramacho-

dump-172017234--finance.html

Blore Shawn (2012, May 30). The closing of Gramacho, Latin-America's

largest landfill, leaves garbage pickers with an uncertain future. O Globo.

Retrieved July 27, 2012, from http://oglobo.globo.com/rio-20-conference-

2012/the-closing-of-gramacho-latin-americas-largest-landfill-leaves-garbage-pickers-

with-an-uncertain-future-5066307

Brocchetto Marilia, Ansari Azadeh. (2012, June 5). Landfill's closure

changing lives in Rio. CNN. Retrieved July 27, 2012, from

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/05/world/americas/brazil-landfill-

closure/index.html

Clarke, Felicity. (2012, June 21). Waste land pickers struggles from landfill

closure. Rio Watch. Retrieved July 27, 2012, from http://rioonwatch.org/?

p=4032

Comunidade COEP. (2005). Jardim Gramacho: Diagnóstico Social. Rio de

Janeiro: iBase.

De Souza Porto, Marcelo Firpo. (2004). Lixo, trabalho e saúde: um estudo

de caso com catadores em um aterro metropolitano no Rio de Janeiro,

Brasil. Cad. Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro.

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Millar Kathleen M. (2011). Reclaiming the Discarded: The Politics of Labor

and Everyday Life on Rio's Garbage Dump. Unpublished doctoral

dissertation, University of Brown, Providence, Rhode Island.

Piza Edith, Rosemberg Fúlvia. (1999). Color in the Brazilian Census. In

Reichmann Rebecca, Race in Contemporary Brazil. United State of

America: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

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