In the week of World Water Day, celebrated on March 22nd, Ocyan, an oil and gas company, reached the milestone of 50 tons of waste removed from Guanabara Bay through "Baía Limpa" (Clean Bay), signed in partnership with BVRio. The project finances fishermen from colonies in Caju and Ilha do Governador to 'fish' for waste on two days of the week. In the five months it has been operating, "Baía Limpa" has already removed half the volume expected for the year (100 tons).

On each collection day, more than a ton of waste is collected and one item in particular stands out: 31 sofas were collected from the rivers and canals of Guanabara, many of which are very polluted and silted up.  The task of removing the furniture from the sea requires strength and collective effort from the experienced fishermen, as well as exposing the process of disorganized urban growth in the Metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro.

During the period, small pieces of debris and bulky objects were removed, totaling more than 18 tons of different types of plastic; nine tons of foam; six tons of backpacks, bags and clothes; two tons of glass; one ton of flip-flops, among other materials. Most of the collection takes place in the mangroves, where vital ecosystems for the coastal areas exist, which are so important to marine life and as a source of food and income to the local population.

"Baía Limpa reflects our commitment to society and our responsibility towards the environment. The project is exceeding the collection target we set at the beginning. At the same time as we celebrate being able to contribute to cleaning up Guanabara Bay, the data reinforces that the amount of waste there is very large and a collective effort to clean it up is essential," says André Luiz Barros, Ocyan's Communications, Social Responsibility and Diversity Manager, noting that the initiative also represents a social action, as it provides financial incentives for local fishermen.

BVRio records the items collected through their waste management app, KOLECT, and is responsible for handling the disposal of the waste and providing data on the amount and identification of waste. That way, it is possible to monitor everything that is being collected and efficiently certify the recovery of waste with recycling potential. The material collected is sent to Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, for content separation. 

The partnership also contributes for artisanal fishing throughout the region, strengthening the fishing community, once it allows a regeneration of species with the collection and removal of waste, and also promotes the permanence of fishermen at sea, where their work is. 

Social and Environmental Responsibility

The initiative is part of Ocyan’s Social and Environmental platform, and the partnership with BVRio is one of the initiatives that the company sees for the upcoming years. “We are planning projects involving social, environment, education and diversity. Together, those agendas have a great power of transformation,” comments the executive.