Cáceres (Brazil) advances waste‑picker support and solid‑waste policy

Public defender Kelly Christina Veras Otácio Monteiro, representing the Defensoria Pública do Estado de Mato Grosso, met with Cáceres vice‑mayor Luiz Laudo Paz Landim, Águas do Pantanal executive Samara Brant, and environmental justice promoter Liane Amélia Chaves. The meeting, attended by municipal officials, the Ministry of Public Prosecutor, and catador associations, aimed to strengthen coordination among institutions responsible for solid‑waste management in the city.

Discussions focused on the roles of large waste generators, the municipal environment secretariat, and social assistance in improving collection, segregation at source, and support for waste‑pickers. Proposals included linking assistance programs to provide basic food baskets to catador families and expanding educational initiatives on recycling. The dialogue seeks to enhance working conditions for catadores, increase material recovery, and reduce the volume sent to final disposal.