Brazil's recycling drive highlights student art exhibition in Itabirito and waste‑picker forum in Itabuna

Hundreds of public‑school students in Itabirito, Minas Gerais, transformed PET bottles, cardboard, cans and fabrics into sculptures, panels and objects for the free Ecocria exhibition at the Casa de Vidro from 14 to 28 August. The project, Eco Cria – Da Sucata à Arte, was led by artist Willi de Carvalho and project founder Fabrice Alodji, aiming to teach environmental awareness through hands‑on creation.

In Itabuna, Bahia, the I Regional Forum for Strengthening Associations and Cooperatives of Waste‑Pickers gathered catadores, public officials and private partners on 4 August. Organized by the municipal Recicla Itabuna program and the Association of Environmental Agents and Waste‑Pickers (AACRRI), the forum, chaired by AACRRI president Carissa Araújo Santos, discussed policies to boost selective collection, circular economy and socioprodutive inclusion. Municipal secretary Rosivaldo Pinheiro and mayor Augusto Castro praised the event as a milestone for the southern Bahia region.