Productivity Analysis in Recyclable Materials Sorting Operation - A Case Study at Recifavela Cooperative

The reduction of waste in manufacturing processes and the productivity gain have been researched by several authors as economic competitive advantages for companies. More recently, environmental and social concerns have also been included in these studies. In this broad context, which additionally involves economic, environmental and social aspects, are the cooperatives of waste pickers (CMRs), which need to be placed on the same level where companies with productive and competitive profiles are located. Thus, the research presented in this article seeks to contribute to the advancement of this debate, considering the existence of gaps in the literature that address productivity studies in the production activities of recyclable materials sorting cooperatives. Therefore, the objectives of this study are directed to the questions that involve productivity (kg/cooperated) in the operation of screening materials, measuring the waste that occurs and which proposals for improvements can be implemented to increase productivity. This research is limited to a cooperative of collectors that adopts the sorting belt in its process. The methodology adopted is a case study, of applied nature (generating knowledge with practical application), quantitative and with exploratory data analysis. The results show that there are losses of production/waste of time of the (co-operated) operators, which could be reversed in aggregated value and, consequently, in increased productivity of the cooperative's business system in the sorting operation.