Social Technology for Local Recycling of Plastic: An Example of Circular Economy

Abstract

The pollution caused by an improper disposal of plastic is a problem that the current recycling model, based on large industrial plants, still needs to solve. An alternative is the so-called Local Recycling, in which people without specialized training transform discarded plastic into valuable objects in the disposal environment. This work presents a technology for recycling, with a robust social bias, which transforms plastic waste into solid bars and plates, later used in the production of furniture and other valuables. This technology is being applied in the field at the modular recycling unit in Pedra Furada – SE, where young people without technical training produce objects of high commercial value.