Associação dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho (Association of Collectors of the Metropolitan Landfill of Jardim Gramacho) is an organization of "pickers" who sort through garbage finding

recyclables Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

as a means of survival. The association is led by president Tião Santos, and based in the

landfill A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...

Jardim Gramacho Jardim Gramacho (Gramacho Gardens in English) is a neighborhood in the city of Duque de Caxias and the state of Rio de Janeiro. Landfill Jardim Gramacho was the site of one of the largest landfills in the world. It closed in June 2012 after 34 ...

, outside

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

. Its members are paid in exchange for the recyclables that they collect, sort, and trade. The Jardim Gramacho landfill has one of the highest rates of recycling due to the entire economy generated by the association. More recently, the ACAMJG has gained more attention, due to the documentary '' Waste Land'', exposing a community and art project led by artist

Vik Muniz Vik Muniz (; born 1961) is a Brazilian artist and photographer. His work has been met with both commercial success and critical acclaim, and has been exhibited worldwide. In 1998, he participated in the 24th International Biennale in São Paulo, ...

. The documentary highlights Muniz' two-year visit to Jardim Gramacho, where he collected recyclables with the ACAMJG and, with their help, photographed works made entirely of recyclables. The photographs were both sold to exhibits and also auctioned, for a total of $300,000 US, all donated to the association.

References

External links

Sistema FIRJAN capacita catadores de Gramacho
Trade unions in Brazil Recycling in Brazil {{Brazil-org-stub