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Amazonas housing project advances with family selection, production of blocks made from recycled plastic, and structure for building affordable housing, while the government expands the recycling chain and includes waste pickers in supplying the raw material used in the units.
The Government of Amazonas recently expanded the implementation of Amazonas Ecolar in this year of 2026, and now the housing project that uses recycled plastic in the construction of affordable housing plans the free delivery of the first 16 units in the Petrópolis neighborhood, in the southern zone of Manaus, for families living in risk areas.
As previously published by the CPG portal, each home will have 50 square meters, distributed between two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, according to information released by the agencies responsible for the housing project.
According to information released by the Amazonas Civil Defense and the Urban Development Secretariat, the houses will be assembled with ecological blocks produced from reused plastic waste, used as the basis of the construction system adopted in the program.
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Affordable houses made of recycled plastic advance in Manaus
In the first stage of Amazonas Ecolar, the units will be installed in an area of 3,200 square meters located on Delfim de Souza street, in the Petrópolis neighborhood, in the southern zone of the Amazonian capital.
In addition to the construction of the houses, the residential area will receive earthworks, drainage, urban roads, sidewalks, water network, sewage system, public lighting, landscaping, playground, and outdoor gym.
With this complementary structure, the project also plans the implementation of a housing complex with urban infrastructure aimed at resettling the families covered in this first phase.
According to the state government, the proposal is to resettle families removed from areas considered vulnerable, especially areas subject to disasters and environmental risks.
For the assembly of the walls, the construction system uses interlocking blocks and dispenses with the use of mortar, cement, and glue, according to information presented by the state government.
According to the state government, the technology used reduces waste during construction and allows each unit to be assembled in up to five days.
Also according to the official project presentation, the homes were developed with features adapted to the predominant climatic conditions in the Amazon region.
The model includes structures resistant to humidity, anti-mold properties, and thermal and acoustic insulation, as well as its own biodigester for effluent treatment.
Family selection enters analysis phase
In February 2026, the state government opened the pre-registration for the first stage through the Amazonas Meu Lar platform, used for the registration process of interested families.
After the registration closed, the process entered the analysis and screening phase, aimed at defining the families that could receive the first housing units.
Among the priority criteria informed by the government are displaced or homeless families, residents of areas classified as very high risk, people exposed to risk situations for at least three years, families with a monthly income of up to two minimum wages, and women in situations of domestic violence.
Priority may also be given to family units with elderly people, children, adolescents, people with disabilities, people with reduced mobility, ASD, cancer, and rare, chronic, or degenerative diseases.
The selection also considers families headed by women or in single-parent situations.
The delivery of the houses will be free, according to the official government announcement.
To receive the benefit, families must also meet rules such as not owning their own property, not having an active mortgage, and not having received housing benefits in the last ten years.
Recycling center transforms plastic into ecological blocks
As the productive base of Amazonas Ecolar, the government structured a recycling center focused on transforming plastic waste into blocks used in popular housing.
The unit was presented with an initial capacity to process more than 80 tons of plastic per month.
According to estimates presented by the state government, this volume can support the construction of up to ten houses per month within the project’s initial capacity.
In the planned operation for the unit, about 40 to 50 workers are expected to work between operational and administrative teams, while the structure will use solar energy for part of its operation.
According to the state government, the initiative brings together actions related to housing policy, recycling, and circular economy.
In this model, discarded plastic goes through stages of sorting, treatment, and transformation until it is used in the production of structural blocks intended for housing.
In addition to block production, the project foresees a supply chain with the participation of waste pickers, cooperatives, and associations linked to selective collection in different regions of the state.
The government states that it intends to increase the participation of these organizations in delivering the raw material used in the project.
Project foresees income generation for waste pickers
Among the objectives presented by the state government is the generation of income for workers linked to recycling and selective collection activities.
According to the proposal released by the state, there will be an incentive to strengthen waste picker associations and decentralize stages such as sorting and shredding to municipalities in the interior of Amazonas.
According to the state government, the proposal seeks to integrate popular housing actions with solid waste management.
According to the proposal presented by the state, the material collected by waste pickers and local organizations can supply the production of housing through the reuse of post-consumer plastic.
In January 2026, the State Department of the Environment reported that it began discussions with Civil Defense to expand actions related to Amazonas Ecolar.
The department presented the project as an initiative that combines reducing the housing deficit, environmental protection, and waste reuse.
In the same official release, the state Secretary of the Environment, Eduardo Taveira, stated that the program was structured to operate in areas related to pollution, deforestation, and social vulnerability.
Civil Defense highlighted the initiative’s role in relocating families from vulnerable areas.
New notice expands requirements for plastic supply
Throughout 2026, the supply structure of the project also underwent adjustments related to the supply of raw materials used in the production of the blocks.
The Civil Defense published a call for companies specialized in supplying post-consumer plastics intended for the Amazonas Ecolar Recycling Center.
The call provides for a total amount of R$ 3.012 million and is valid until December 31, 2026.
The document establishes quality requirements, technical documentation, standardization, and quantities to ensure regular supply for block production.
Even with the open accreditation, the hiring of supplier companies does not occur automatically, as provided in the call published by the government.
The call itself states that accreditation does not oblige the public administration to hire, but organizes the conditions for the potential continuous supply of the necessary material to the recycling center.
With the selection of families under review, the pilot area defined, the recycling chain being structured, and the plastic supply in the accreditation process, Amazonas Ecolar has entered a more operational phase.
With the advancement of the selection, implementation, and accreditation stages, the project began to focus on actions aimed at the operational execution of the housing units.
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