Reflections on the impact of the pandemic coronavirus on the performance of the recyclable materials collector

The Covid-19 pandemic acts more severely in the lower strata of Brazilian society, where there are recyclable material collectors, who act in an organized manner in associations and cooperatives or individually. To avoid further depletion of their income, recyclable material collectors need to remain collecting for a longer time, at a time when the prices of recyclables are falling, even as their production increases. This leads to greater exposure to the Covid-19 virus because, among recyclable material scavengers, there are many sexagenarians and individuals with pre-existing comorbidities. In addition, it is necessary to discuss the post-pandemic scenario, with the possibility of a substantial increase in new scavengers arising from the economic crisis and an increase in the supply of recyclable material.