POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS E CATADORES DE MATERIAIS RECICLÁVEIS NO BRASIL: DA POLÍTICA NACIONAL DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS ÀS CONDIÇÕES DE SAÚDE RELACIONADOS AO TRABALHO

Abstract

The increase in solid waste generation and the limited effectiveness of public policies have exacerbated the precariousness of waste management in Brazil. In this context, waste pickers play a central role in recycling, recovering most reusable materials; however, they continue to work under conditions marked by vulnerability, informality, and multiple occupational risks. This study is based on the hypothesis that the recognition of waste pickers by the Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS) has not been sufficient to promote structural improvements in their living and working conditions, due to weaknesses in the implementation and continuity of public policies. The study was developed through two complementary methodological approaches. The first consisted of a systematic literature review conducted according to the PRISMA protocol, with searches carried out in databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, BDENF, and the Portal CAPES, including 39 articles published between 2010 and 2025 that analyzed the implementation of the PNRS and its impacts. The second approach consisted of a cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted with 52 waste pickers affiliated with an association in the municipality of Pinheiro, Maranhão, Brazil, using the Escala de Avaliação dos Danos Relacionados ao Trabalho (EADRT). The results of the review revealed important normative advances; however, these were accompanied by significant weaknesses in policy implementation, expressed through low coverage of selective waste collection, insufficient infrastructure, persistence of informality, and limited socioproductive inclusion of waste pickers. The empirical study, in turn, demonstrated a high prevalence of health-related damage, particularly physical damage (86.5%), followed by psychological (67.3%) and social (55.8%) damage, predominantly classified as moderate to critical. An association was observed between longer working time and increased damage, as well as greater physical impairment among women. It is concluded that there is a mismatch between the legal framework and the reality experienced by waste pickers, with workers’ illness resulting from structural determinants related to precarious working conditions and the fragility of public policies. The integration of socio-productive inclusion, improvement of working conditions, and strengthening of waste management policies is essential to promote health, social justice, and sustainability in the Brazilian context.