21.5 tonnes of waste tracked during Rio Carnival with KOLEKT

For the first time, a waste management app was used to track waste collection during Rio Carnival. The KOLEKT app was provided by BVRio to record the activities of Folia Verde, a ‘green carnival’ campaign promoted by the Municipal Secretariat for Environment and Climate (SMAC) of Rio de Janeiro.

Over 12 days of festivities, the campaign collected a total of 40 tonnes of solid waste across 16 street parties (blocos), as well as in the Marquês de Sapucaí and Intendente Magalhães carnival venues. More than 320 professionals, including waste pickers and environmental educators, were involved, generating jobs and opportunities.

Under the coordination of INN (Inovação, Natureza e Negócios), 21.5 tonnes of waste – mainly aluminium cans, PET bottles, and cardboard – were recorded in KOLEKT, ensuring traceability of these materials within the recycling chain. The waste was sent to Fábrica Verde, a concessionaire of the Rio de Janeiro City Council, to optimise its processing for recycling. The waste collected but not recorded in KOLEKT consisted of used costumes.

This initiative marks an important milestone for the circular economy, contributing to an inclusive reverse logistics model based on the work of waste picker cooperatives, particularly during the world’s largest carnival event.