Cataki: the app that combines sustainability and social causes

Technology, social concern and sustainability have come together in the new recycling app Cataki . It is a platform to make the collection of recycled waste easier for residents and more dignified for those who carry it out. Launched earlier this year by the NGO Pimp My Carroça, by graffiti artist and activist Mundano, the app works in a similar way to transportation apps. The user registers, specifies the type of waste they need to dispose of, and Cataki shows the closest collectors who can pick up the waste. materials. The next step is to get in touch and negotiate a fair price for the service. The idea for Cataki came from a delicate social situation. Around 90% of everything that is recycled in Brazil is collected by collectors. However, the work of these freelancers is not regulated and their pay is extremely unfair: plastic and cardboard, for example, are worth around R$0.20/kg, and glass is worth around R$0.05/kg. Although the sustainability debate has gained momentum in recent years, the waste picker profession seems to have become forgotten and remained socially undervalued.

The numbers are frightening and it is difficult to imagine these amounts of waste. Perhaps more tangible information is the R$5.7 billion, according to the National Union of Urban Cleaning Companies, that could be returned to the economy if plastic was recycled. For offering an efficient, low-cost and accessible solution to deal with these contradictions, Cataki won the innovation award in February from Netexplo, an observatory that studies the social impact of digital technologies in partnership with UNESCO. The application is Available for iOS and Android and is free. It is also possible to register collectors and cooperatives, helping to increase the activity network. More information on the website: www.cataki.org