Bolsa Reciclagem Program, to support associations of collectors of recyclable materials in Minas Gerais, received funds of R $ 3 million. The amount, which pays off arrears from previous management, was made possible by the partnership between the State Government and the steelmaker Gerdau and will benefit 80 entities and 1,600 professionals. The action was announced by the Governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, this Wednesday (07/22), in a videoconference meeting attended by parliamentarians, representatives of the Government of Minas Gerais, the Public Ministry, the Court of Accounts, Gerdau, institutional partners and members of waste pickers’ associations.
In partnership with the Government of Minas, the steelmaker donated R $ 1.5 million to the Bolsa Reciclagem Program. The appeal was directed through the State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development (Semad) and the Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG). The other R $ 1.5 million was made available by the Government of Minas Gerais through the Budget and Finance Commission (Cofin).
“In line with our purpose and the social investment guideline, which focuses on recycling, Gerdau has historically carried out actions to support recyclable material collectors in several cities in Minas Gerais. We are very happy to sign this new partnership that will benefit the associations of waste pickers in Minas Gerais, entities that bring together professionals so important to have a more sustainable society and that were directly impacted by the pandemic ”, says the Director of Mining and Raw Materials, Wendel Gomes. “This is another resource made available by Gerdau, which has already added more than R $ 20 million in donations since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. Minas Gerais can count on Gerdau on this journey ”, adds Gomes.
Created in 2011 by State Law 19.823 / 2011, the program aims to provide financial incentives to cooperatives and associations of waste pickers that segregate, bundle and market paper, cardboard, cardboard, plastics, metals, glass and other post-consumer waste. The objective is to encourage the reintroduction of recyclable materials in the production process.
About Gerdau
With 119 years of history, Gerdau is the largest Brazilian steel producer and one of the main suppliers of long steel in the Americas and special steel in the world. In Brazil, it also produces flat steel, in addition to iron ore for its own consumption. In order to empower people who build the future, the company is present in 10 countries and has more than 30 thousand direct and indirect employees in all its operations. The largest recycler in Latin America, Gerdau uses scrap as an important raw material: 73% of the steel it produces is made from this material. Every year, 11 million tons of scrap are transformed into various steel products. Gerdau’s shares are listed on the São Paulo (B3), New York (NYSE) and Madrid (Latibex) stock exchanges.
