Performance analysis of recycling cooperatives from Brazil: implications for Latin America

A principle from the national solid waste policy in Brazil is, among others, the integration of collectors of reusable and recyclable materials in actions involving shared responsibility for the life cycle of products. In this country, the effectiveness in the management of municipal solid waste is directly linked to socio-productive inclusion of collectors in collecting, sorting and marketing municipal solid waste with recyclable potential (PRMSW) through the formalisation of enterprises in recycling cooperatives. For this, 40 based cooperatives were analysed in seven states through data envelopment analysis and regression Tobit. All cooperatives which not achieved performance score one are short-changing the inputs and generating products inconsistent with the optimal operating capacity of the cooperative. The results of this article can be understood as a method to be used by authorities or public/private entities to verify the performance of recycling cooperatives in their operating activities in the recycling chain.