A study on the difficulties of practicing reverse logistics by an association of waste pickers in the city of Manaus

Sustainability has been a growing concern worldwide, with reverse logistics being its most relevant ally. This study aimed to analyze the difficulties encountered in the practice of reverse logistics by an association of solid waste collectors operating in the city of Manaus. It used the survey method, whose data was collected from interviews and observations, analyzed using the content analysis technique, and presented through photographs. The results showed five stages of the reverse logistics process: reception, sorting, separation, and mixing of the material and pressing of the raw material produced, as well as the difficulties encountered in all phases of reverse logistics (internally and externally). The conclusion shows that the difficulties can be summarized in the lack of personal protective equipment, machines, and equipment for handling the material and storage of the collected material and the lack of vehicles for transporting and moving the waste internally and externally and the finished product to the association's customers.