Story of 4 month entering the circle in Sao Paulo Brazil

I dedicate this artcle to my mother on teacher's day in Brazil. Besides her giving me life, she always fought hard to give me the best education.

I asked to be fired after 12 years working at an automobile industry, where I gravitated towards the engineering, planning and project departments. Before that, I had already hired a career coach which would give me access to some workshops. The first risk to be managed is that I could support my 2 year-old son Noah will be missing nothing. With my savings, due to me being fired, I was able to get six months of “freedom” to have a fresh start at my career. A time to reflect, aggravated by my divorce.

I had the chance to travel by myself and with my son. Some people that I knew stepped away from me. Met some new ones. Some came back, others don’t. Or still don’t. Sticked to my family, in a way that I hadn’t done for the past ten years because of my moving to Goias to work and then expatriate in Japan as well. Soon after, I came back to S?o Paulo and became a daddy.

The career coaching was the first thing that set the pace in an open and free environment. Once a week with my coach and some scheduled workshops besides a bunch of tools of self-knowledge and a behavior-mental profile. These were my appointments. Each and everyday I felt my father figure getting stronger and enhanced my human nature and fills my heart with a cosmic love.

With the value stream map and my résumé updated, my main social network has become Linkedin. I began from 170 connections to more then 850 in only 4 months. Met all kinds of people and professionals. From all the content that I have learned from the market, what caught my attention the most was circular economy. The first time I heard that, it was in an awesome interview by Amyr Klink (he should be the brazilian president). Asked some guidance to my coach and he shared a contact with me, which led me to a workshop at CNI and SEBRAE about Circular Economy and the Future of the Industry. It was a mind blowing experience.

In addition to that, I downloaded CATAKIapp. It is a way to help value the job from the garbage street collectors. Did you know that each brazilian produces about 400kg of garbage per year and recycles only 12kg? And guess who collects 11kg of these? The street collectors (source: Cataki). I have recently joined a Whatsapp group and did some volunteer work. I helped to build some aluminium baskets, to place them near lampposts to make it easy to separate them. Cans are like gold to the collectors. On the other hand, glass, plaster and styrofoam are the bad guys.

I accepted a consulting job to a food company and worked for 250h. I managed the change between plants (my father helped me) and was able to have an experience in the maintenance department, logistics and production. Took part from the strategic planning meetings to civil works. Learned a lot. Delivered the scope.

Then, I visited the recycling Nespresso center, which started at the Oscar Freire street store and went to a deep tour through the efficient and smart recycling process of coffee capsules. It is a project full of reason, environment concept, logistics and engineering. I had a gleam in my eyes.

After that I’ve been to a workshop about Circular Economy from the “Hamburguer University” filled with updated data and a vast range of practical and academic knowledge. I was in touch with start-ups like books from doGueto, documentaries that will go straight to GloboNews, youngsters CEO’s filled with motivation and scholars that work in Europe.

As Brazilians we are full of democratic knowledge. Reminiscent from the genius of boat masters that navigate through our shores to the popcorn guy that gets his wage from it. When creativity connects to the circular economy it will change people’s lives. It will also help the planet breath after the natural resources dried out, because of men footprint in water, fauna and flora.

Insights while I’m taking a break:

1. Circular economy is an amazing theme. Essential. I would like that energetic, smart and with essential philosophy people got together to act (those with a polymath level like Ruy Barbosa and Santos Dumont) I hope that S?o Paulo governor, together with his modern secretary (since being a digital native, must have had a clue that the natural resources are reaching an end, like lithium that should have extinguished in 2024 if automobiles were already 100% electric; silver in 2029 and copper in 2044, as the biggest hydrographic basin won’t be drinkable anymore) do government incentives and secondary raw materials. The same way, I wish Brazilians to respect the street collectors. In this theme range I missed the lack of knowledge and published material about the transformation industry. I mean the intermediary process that connects the waste (end of the lifecycle stage of the product [standard concept of a linear economy]) regardless of its nature, composition, shape or technical specification [spread and reuse the concept of circular economy]. E.g. a) Nespresso aluminium capsules that are sold to the aluminium industry; b) soybean oil resold to companies that make soap; c) worn out tyres that turn into shelter for homeless dogs.

Circular economy is a remarkable and essential theme

If I would have to create a reasonable conclusion of my biggest interest, it would be the industry of transformation. The metamorphosis of the disposal into the input of another process (multiple cycles). The same way to the products intelligence design (focusing in the beginning of the chain), that would be a driving force into another, at the end of the other cycle - it would mean to give a new life. The same way I would be willing to take part in the sum of the collaborative force, on behalf of sharing infrastructure, essential to circular economy. Renewing the business environment template and the customer behaviour. I go on studying and exploring all the possibilities and a path to follow at the age of 34.

While studying Engineering I could only work while I was on vacation. Even though I started working as a intern when I was 17. I worked as a trainee in France and as soon as I got back I was already hired as an engineer. After 12 years I’ve never been unemployed. Between breathing the freedom and the concern of keeping my savings, I am always ready to take on opportunities. It allows to keep me cool before the 6 months that I had planned. My closest friends have been trying to find me a position, that ranges from the ones very well in their careers and those in the same position as me and the other 13 million of Brazilian unemployed. My grandparents have been praying everyday for me to find a job. I did not attend any job interview so far, even being ready for that. Some people feel embarrassed to talk to me about that, or to ask me if I am able to find a new position. I believe it is because of different kinds of professional or moral reasons. The question is… do I want a position or a job?

To sum it all up, I’m having a great time with my son Noah, I acknowledge myself as a father figure and the way I want him to be connected to the world. Made the necessary changes that I had to. I learned the potential to apply my knowledge into meaningful purposes. Am I a millennial for real? 

Life has clearly shown me the ending of cycles to start new ones. I beg it to be circular. I ride my bike to all my appointments. By the way: respect bikers. Since the early days I was like waking up from the Matrix. Let’s change the system. Let’s burst the bubble. 

Some recommendations: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Exchange 4 Change Brasil, da Beatriz Luz; Nespresso e Claudia Leite; C&A Foundation e Douwe Jan Joustra; Economia regenerativa, de Lorraine Smith; CATAKI  e Mundano; Retalhar e Jonas Lessa, Sustentabilidade na Arcos Dourados e Leonardo Lima; Patricia Berardi da Universidade do Porto.

1 person generates an average of 40 tons of waste during lifespan. This is not garbage, this is raw material

#circulareconomy