Performance Bottlenecks in a Materials Recovery Facility for Selective Waste Collection

The efficiency in material recovery at selective collection sorting centers (SC) depends on factors such as the diversity and quantity of waste, adopted processes and technologies, and working conditions. This study aims to analyze the performance bottlenecks of the operational processes at the SC of selective collection in São José dos Campos (SP). The methodology involved the collection of primary data and analysis of results, adopting Lean Manufacturing principles to identify process wastes. The SC receives approximately 70 tons/day of waste from selective collection, of which 72.5% are recyclable, but over 40% have been designated as rejects. The waste of materials represented a financial loss of over R$ 2 million in 2018. There is a significant waste of time, especially for the exchange of reject containers (approximately 1 hour). Another waste is the number of bags that remain closed throughout the process and are discarded as rejects.