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At 30 years old, single mother of a 12-year-old boy, Raienne began posting videos influenced by her son and went viral in Goiânia for her beauty. The recyclable collector from selective collection multiplied followers in days and uses the reach to value the profession and teach how to separate waste.
A urban cleaning worker became a topic on social media and turned the sudden attention into a cause. Raienne, a recyclable collector in Goiânia, gained thousands of followers in just a few days after images of her working began to circulate, and the repercussion reached TV. The case was featured in a report on the program Balanço Geral, from Record Goiás, published in June 2025.
What caught the public’s attention initially was her appearance. But, when interviewed, Raienne shifted the focus to what she considers most important: dedication to her craft and the relevance of a role that, according to her, sustains the functioning of the city. Instead of being bothered by the spotlight, she decided to use it to talk about work.
Who is Raienne, the recyclable collector who went viral
At 30 years old, Raienne is a single mother of Luís Fernando, 12 years old, and lives in Real Conquista, Goiânia. It was her own son who encouraged her to start recording videos, a move that no one in the family imagined would gain the dimension it did. Before working in urban cleaning, she worked as a doorman in a condominium.
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About eight months ago, she joined the selective collection team, working in the Faiçalville sector for the cleaning company Limpa Gyn. The adaptation, she says, was quick, and today she wears the uniform with pride. It is precisely this identification with the routine of a recyclable collector that appears in the videos and ended up winning over the public.
The viralization and the flood of followers
The jump in numbers is impressive. The account that had about a thousand followers reached 28,000 on Instagram and 34,000 on TikTok, and during the live interview itself, the counter didn’t stop: it went from 29,000, hit 30,000, and kept rising until it surpassed 31,000 in a matter of minutes. For a creator who started for fun, the growth was vertiginous.
With visibility also came commercial opportunities. Raienne stated that she is receiving advertising proposals from stores and is analyzing each one carefully, without time to respond to all amidst the avalanche of messages. Even so, she maintained the tone of someone who doesn’t want to lose her balance: for her, the most valuable recognition is being seen working with honesty.
Vanity and work side by side
One of the details that resonated most was the way she balances a heavy routine with personal care. Before putting on protective equipment, like gloves, boots, uniform, and cap, Raienne does her makeup at home, simply because, with gloves, it would be impossible to get ready afterward. Perfume, she says, is also a must.
For the recyclables collector, maintaining vanity is not incompatible with the job, but rather part of what makes her feel good to face the day. She argues that feeling beautiful and fragrant improves disposition and mood, regardless of the field in which one works, and made sure to leave this message for other workers.
“My heart has already been collected” and the support of women
Amidst the compliments and admirers, Raienne responded with good humor to the flood of flirtations. “My heart has already been collected,” she joked, announcing that she has a boyfriend and thanking the affection received. The phrase, with a pun related to her own profession, helped increase the audience’s sympathy.
Another point that moved her was realizing that a good part of the positive comments came from other women. She highlighted this female support as something especially gratifying, at a time when sudden exposure could easily attract judgments. For Raienne, seeing women rooting for women was one of the most beautiful parts of all the repercussion.
The defense of an essential profession
Although she knew that fame began with appearance, Raienne saw a greater opportunity there. She began to use her reach to highlight the role of the garbage collector, reminding everyone that without this work, the city would quickly plunge into chaos. For her, giving visibility to the profession might even attract more people to the field.
The routine, however, is not simple. It involves eight hours of daily work, with extra caution needed when stepping off the truck’s footboard, as cars and motorcycles are constantly passing by. The recyclables collector emphasizes that recognition also serves to show the real effort behind a job often invisible to the public eye.
The disposal tips she wants to spread
Encouraged by the program team to transform her profile into a source of guidance, Raienne embraced the idea. The first appeal is to correctly separate organic waste from recyclables, respecting the collection days and times, which can be checked on the company’s website. Mixing food scraps with cardboard, styrofoam, and plastic, she explains, delays and complicates the work of those who collect.
She also warned about the safe disposal of sharp objects, such as glass, shards, and needles, which should be placed in a sealed cardboard box with tape and labeled to avoid accidents. Another point: toilet paper and bathroom waste do not go into the selective material, and packages like milk cartons need to be washed before going for recycling. According to the report, Goiânia collects about 2 thousand tons of recyclables per month, material that supplies partner cooperatives of the city hall and helps sustain thousands of families.
Now the conversation is with you. Does your family separate recyclable waste from organic waste as Raienne teaches, or do you still throw everything together? Do you think stories like hers help give more respect to essential professions? Comment your opinion below, tell us how collection works in your neighborhood, and share this article to value those who take care of the city’s cleanliness.
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