Recicla Capital is a public policy of Salvador’s City Hall that turns selective waste collection into a structured public service, combining citizen incentives, the formal integration of waste-picker cooperatives, and a digital monitoring system. Residents drop off recyclables at neighbourhood collection stations and earn points through a mobile app, which they redeem for products, services, and discounts — including on their energy bills.

Rather than treating recycling as a side environmental initiative, the city embedded it into its public service architecture. Seven cooperatives are formally contracted to operate 20 collection stations and receive a fixed monthly payment per container, giving them stable income and recognised status as service providers. The model shifts Salvador from fragmented, informal recycling toward an inclusive, incentive-based circular economy.