World Clean-up Day effort removes 1.5 tonnes of waste from Guanabara Bay with technological innovation

On Saturday, 21 September, BVRio organised a public clean-up effort in Guanabara Bay in celebration of World Clean-up Day. With the support of 68 volunteers, the event resulted in the removal of 1.5 tonnes of waste in just two hours, highlighting the importance of such initiatives for the conservation of coastal ecosystems.

The action was carried out in collaboration with Ogyre, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Development (NIDES), the Baía Viva Movement, the project ‘The Journey of Waste’ project from Rio de Janeiro’s Federal University, and the waste pickers cooperative PROMAR. After the collection, the waste was sorted, weighed, and logged using the waste management app KOLEKT, ensuring the correct disposal of recyclable materials.

A key feature of the clean-up was the use of KOLEKT, which allows different types of materials to be catalogued and potentially sold, closing the recycling loop. The digital logging of waste also helps track the collected materials, providing valuable data for future actions and enhancing reverse logistics in Brazil.

“In urban beaches, public cleaning services remove the waste left by beachgoers. But here, we see the consequences of poor waste management in cities. Litter thrown onto the streets is washed by rain into the canals and rivers, ending up in the Bay. When the tide rises, this waste washes ashore on beaches like this one, where no public cleaning service exists.” Said Pedro Succar, BVRio circular economy specialist.

In June of this year, BVRio had organised a clean-up at the same location, leaving the beach free of waste. However, just three months later, the beach was once again covered in a large amount of litter brought in by the high tide, illustrating the ongoing pollution in Guanabara Bay and the need for consistent efforts to keep the coast clean. To this end, BVRio’s Fishing for Litter project operates in the area.

At the end of the event, participants joined a boat rally, a demonstration in defence of the oceans and against marine pollution. The movement drew attention from the local community, the press, and environmental organisations, increasing the visibility of the cause.