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According to the General Balance, resident discarded bag by mistake; the money in the trash was located on the sorting conveyor of the cooperative and fully returned.
A team of recyclers performed an act of honesty that went viral on social media. They found and returned R$ 92 thousand that were accidentally discarded. The case, detailed by the General Balance, occurred at a recycling plant after a resident, in panic, sought the cooperative to report the loss of the money in the trash. The amount was in a bag discarded on Friday and was only located on Monday.
The resident, who preferred not to identify herself, arrived at the site “terrified”, according to reports from one of the workers to the General Balance. She explained that she had kept a “certain amount” in a small bag at home, but when she went out, she forgot it and, upon returning, picked up the bag and put it out for collection. The despair was evident, as she believed that the “considerable amount” was lost forever.
The Discovery on the Sorting Conveyor
The process of finding the bag was complex. The trash collected from the street is first stored in a large space at the plant. From there, it is gradually placed on a conveyor belt for manual sorting. According to the report by the General Balance, one person stands at the end of the conveyor tearing open the bags, while other team members select the recyclable materials.
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It was during this meticulous selection that the bag with the money was identified. One of the collectors found most of the amount. Instead of making a fuss, he opted for discretion: “The moment I found it, I gathered the money, kept quiet, right? I kept it all there, didn’t say anything”, he reported to the program. The decision about what to do with the amount would not be made individually.
The Collective Decision of the Cooperative
At the end of the shift, the collector who made the primary discovery called the president of the cooperative, identified as Fábio, and reported what happened. “We held a meeting with the whole group”, he explained. Transparency was complete: he revealed that another colleague had also found a smaller portion of the amount. “We put it all together and returned it”.
The group’s decision was unanimous. The president of the cooperative then called the resident who had reported the loss. To retrieve the amount, she needed to present proof that the money was hers and had legitimate origin. The act of return was a shock for the owner, who already considered the amount lost.
“Principles My Father Taught Me”
The resident’s reaction was one of deep relief and gratitude. According to reports to the General Balance, she “cried a lot” and sent an audio message to the team thanking them. “She was also very impacted by finding it and by people returning it, which is no small thing, right?”, commented one of the workers. For the owner, “her mind had already lost everything”.
When asked about the decision to return such a large amount, the recycler who led the action was emphatic about his values. “What joy would I have in my life using the sweat, right? That money represented that woman’s sweat her whole life“, he reflected. He concluded by citing the importance of example: “How would I teach my children about honesty? […] These are household principles, they are Christian principles”.
The recyclers’ attitude raises an important debate about values and honesty in today’s society. In a scenario where many might do the opposite, the cooperative’s team prioritized their principles.
What do you think about these workers’ decision? Do you believe that honesty is still a fundamental value, even in the face of great financial difficulties? Leave your opinion in the comments, we want to know what you think about this attitude.
Parabéns! As virtudes da honra e da honestidade ainda prevalecem.