Morro de São PauloLocated in the Tinharé Archipelago, it is one of the largest tourist centers in the state of Bahia. The success of this beach destination, which receives an average of 300 people during the summer months, brings with it a silent environmental challenge: the accelerated generation of solid waste on an island classified as an Environmental Protection Area (APA).
It was out of the urgent need to protect this ecosystem that the Mão no Lixo Cooperative was born (Instagram: @maonolixo), an initiative managed by the community itself that changed the logic of waste disposal in the region, transforming what would be waste into an opportunity for work and preservation.
The cooperative's objective: sustainability and income.
Mão no Lixo is not an NGO, but a cooperative association. It was created in 2021 by residents concerned about environmental degradation and the risk it poses to essential economic activities in the region, such as fishing and tourism itself.
The cooperative's main objective is to prevent the formation of open-air dumps on the island and to curb the unnecessary sending of recyclable materials to landfills on the mainland. At the same time, the initiative generates income and fosters the circular economy, remunerating local workers involved in the collection, sorting, and composting process.
The cooperative estimates that, when its recycling and composting plant model is finally operating at its planned ideal capacity, it will be possible to significantly alleviate the workload and high costs that the Municipality of Cairu (the municipality to which Morro belongs) incurs in transporting more than 30 tons of "garbage" to the mainland every day.
The cooperative's idea is to encourage the replication of this compact and functional Waste Treatment Center model in other communities across the archipelago.
Operational and logistical challenges
Despite the positive impact generated, maintaining a recycling operation on an island without road access is an extreme logistical challenge. The reliance on boats and ferries increases the cost of the entire chain: removing materials from the island requires the use of tractors, loading onto boats, the sea crossing to the mainland, and finally, transport by truck. If the material is not properly compacted, freight becomes more difficult and financially unviable.
Due to this constant need for physical infrastructure and machinery, there was a period when operations had to be halted. The community campaign "Green Bag," for example, which collected recyclables from residents' homes using wheelbarrows, saw such rapid participation that the depot was full in just one year. Without a press to properly compact the material, the cooperative had to temporarily suspend the service.
It was to overcome bottlenecks like this that, at the end of 2023, a crowdfunding campaign called "Volta, Mão no Lixo" (Return, Hands to the Trash) was created online. The goal was to raise funds to purchase essential equipment, such as a baler and an ATV, and to finance the construction of a shed to protect both the workers and the bales of recyclables from the sun and rain.
Another relevant point to be commented on is that, although the municipality of Cairu collects the TUPA (Tariff for Use of the Archipelago's Heritage)However, there is the challenge of education regarding sustainable tourism: many visitors believe that paying the fee exempts them from responsibility for the waste they generate, resulting in improper disposal on the beaches.
The areas of activity of Mão no Lixo
To overcome the logistical and cultural challenges it faces, the Mão no Lixo cooperative operates on strategic fronts:
- Consulting and collection (Green Seal and Organic Seal) – Our work involves local businesses, primarily hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants. We offer consulting services on sustainable practices, training employees and implementing selective waste collection at the source. Establishments' participation in the initiative is certified by two distinct seals: the Green Seal indicates the management of recyclable waste, while the Organic Seal indicates the management of food scraps, which are collected daily and sent for composting and organic fertilizer production at the Cooperative's headquarters.
- Internal logistics – Currently, the Mão no Lixo Cooperative is unable to provide recycling points in all locations. Morro de São PauloZimbo and Gamboa. The obstacle is the lack of a more powerful vehicle, such as a quad bike or small tractor, capable of climbing the slopes with its trailer, even on rainy days.
- environmental education – Presence at various events that aim to be certified as “Zero Waste Events.” The initiative involves adapting the space for the proper management of dry and wet waste, and also includes the presence of the “Hands-on Waste” team, guiding the public in person on the correct disposal of each type of waste generated during the event. As part of its strategic environmental education front, the Cooperative also conducts beach clean-up campaigns, raises awareness during sporting events, and delivers lectures and discussion sessions in local daycare centers and schools.
- Sorting and pressing The collected recyclables are taken to a structured warehouse, where they are separated and compacted in presses. This step is crucial to reduce the volume of material before the complex logistics of maritime transport, to be sold to recycling industries on the mainland.
Local innovations: composting and glass
In an area of over 5 square meters donated by a local businessman, the cooperative has also been implementing creative solutions for complex waste:
- Thermophilic Composting – Using static composting piles, the cooperative is able to process organic waste on a large scale without the need for heavy machinery for turning. The compost generated is so valuable that it is used as currency to pay the cooperative's land rent. This same compost will also allow for the activation of organic gardens and the production of fresh food on the island itself.
- Glass transformation – Glass disposal is a commercial bottleneck. The solution planned by the project is to acquire a crushing machine to transform the glass into raw material for the manufacture of "ecoblocks" (ecological bricks), which will be sold and used in civil construction and paving in Morro de São Paulo.
Partnerships that make a difference: Abaeté's commitment
To ensure financial sustainability, acquire the necessary machinery (estimated at around R$200 during the restructuring) and keep all work fronts active, Mão no Lixo has sought support from the private sector.
By connecting thousands of visitors to this paradise on the coast of Bahia, we at Abaeté Linhas Aéreas deeply understand our role in promoting sustainable tourism in the region. We know that our responsibility doesn't end when the passenger disembarks; it extends to ensuring that the destination we love so much remains clean and preserved.
Therefore, we are actively engaged in this initiative, contributing to strengthening sustainability on the island and ensuring that tourism only enhances, and never destroys, Morro's greatest asset: nature itself.
If you are interested, want to follow the cooperative's work, or even help, find out all the details by following the official page @maonolixo on Instagram. To get in touch, use the institutional email: cooperativamaonolixo@gmail.com.
The importance of collective consciousness
Waste management in the archipelago depends on a joint effort. Public authorities, cooperatives (like Mão no Lixo), residents, and even you, the tourist, are all part of the same ecosystem. Learn how to do your part by reading our blog article about it. sustainable tourism in Morro de São PauloTraveling to places like Morro de São Paulo It's also about taking responsibility for protecting them. Abaeté Linhas Aéreas connects you to incredible destinations and invites you to be mindful of preserving them. Book your ticket right now.
