Colombo, Ciliana ReginaBraz, Regina de Fatima dos SantosBispo, Cristina de SouzaMedeiros, Marjorie da Fonseca e SilvaSilva, Jane Ciambele Souza daTeixeira, Marianne Torres da CostaSarthour, Stefferson AlvesSouza, Maria de Fátima de2020-12-282020-12-282014-08-27BRAZ, R. F. S.; BISPO, C. S.; COLOMBO, C. R.; MEDEIROS, M. F. S.; SILVA, J. C. S.; TEIXEIRA, M. T. C.; SARTHOUR, S. A.; SOUZA, M. F.. Estudos sobre os aspectos socioeconômicos dos catadores de resíduos recicláveis organizados em cooperativas na cidade de Natal-RN. Revista Eletrônica do Mestrado em Educação Ambiental, v. 1, p. 147, 2014. Disponível em: https://periodicos.furg.br/remea/article/view/3572 Acesso em 15 dez. 2020. https://doi.org/10.14295/remea.v31i2.3572.1517-12562318-4884https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/31142The objective of the present study was establishing the socio-economic profile of the active garbage pickers, organized in two cooperatives in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast of Brazil. A questionnaire compounded of objective questions, was applied to 70 active garbage pickers Results have shown that 58,6% of the garbage pickers are women and 41,4% are men; 37,1% are between 18 and 29 years old, 50% are between 30 and 45 years old and 14,3% are older than 46 years old. Concerning the educational level, 10% are completely illiterate, 72,9% have not completed the elementary school degree. Related to the number of workers per family, in 37,1% of the cases, only the garbage picker works in the family and in 58,6% of the families two people work, one of them the garbage picker himself. With regard to family income,, 47,1% earn less than a national minimum salary and the same percentage earns between one and two national minimum salaries; 50% receive the “Bolsa Família” as a social benefit and 17,1% has another activity to complement their income. The predominant kind of housing is the brick laid houses corresponding to 92,9% and 62,9% live in their own housing. The knowledge about the socio-economic data of the garbage pickers can be used as a basis for actions which may result in strengthening the productive chain of the solid residuesResíduos sólidosColeta seletivaCooperativas de catadores de materiais recicláveisSolid residuesCooperatives of recyclable material pickers.Selective Collectingarticle10.14295/remea.v31i2.3572