Aplicação do pensamento enxuto (lean thinking) em organização de catadores de materiais recicláveis

Abstract

The National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP) highlights the importance of Waste Pickers’ Organization (WPO) in the urban solid waste recycling chain. However, WPOs have dysfunctions that impact productivity and consequently greater gains for associates, such as non-value-added activities, called waste. Understanding why these unproductivity’s occur and how to eliminate them is the basis of Lean Thinking. Thus, this work aimed to implement improvements in an WPO based on a wide analysis of possibilities and the use of Lean techniques such as process modeling, value stream mapping, spaghetti diagram, analysis of activities that add value and rearrangement of layout. After improvements implemented in the recyclable material selection macroprocess, gains were obtained with reduction of initial stock (59%), lead time (41%), processing time (57%) and cargo handling (17%), clearly realizing the production of positive results in the studied organization. This work revealed the possibility of applying the lean thinking strategy in simple enterprises such as the WPO, providing increased productivity and revenue.