We started day one with a two hour meeting with Mateo at Giral, a leading sustainable project incubator and consulting firm. Mateo is a dynamic person and recognized expert. Prior to arriving to Brazil, we were consistently referred to Mateo as the go to person on all matters recycling. During this meeting, Mateo provided us an overview on the current state of recycling, a wealth of resources and infused us with his energy We learned a lot about the current state of the Brazilian recycling system and Mateo's vision for the future of recycling in Brazil. After the meeting we met up with Roberto, one of our translators and ate lunch. Next we went to Coopamare, the oldest and longest running co-op in Sao Paulo. At Coopamare we met Victor, an intern with Giral. It was interesting to see the facility and get an understanding of how the material is separated. We were able to talk to leader of the cooperative but we still left with a lot of questions and unknowns. We came back to our house in Villa Madelena and debriefed about what we heard and what we observed.
Later we went out to Celebrate Thiago's Birthday at a bar/restaurant. We met some of his friends from Universidad de Sao Paulo who will be helping us later in the week. Feliz Aniversario Thiago!!
Later we went out to Celebrate Thiago's Birthday at a bar/restaurant. We met some of his friends from Universidad de Sao Paulo who will be helping us later in the week. Feliz Aniversario Thiago!!