The UNICATA event — created by and for recyclable waste pickers — presents the results of its training cycles inspired by Paulo Freire’s pedagogy, which values the knowledge built through the daily practice of waste picking. UNICATA is a center for popular education that works across multiple fields, fostering the exchange of knowledge between educators (waste pickers and their allies) and students on topics such as just energy transition, climate justice, waste management, urban agroecology, social rights, and community innovation. Held in an online format, the gathering combines dialogue circles, thematic workshops, and synthesis plenaries, emphasizing listening, collective construction, and the central role of waste pickers as political and environmental actors essential to urban sustainability. By highlighting their practices of self-management and popular education, the event aligns with the theme of the 2025 Urban Circuit, showcasing how UNICATA’s waste pickers relate to their territories. The event presents pathways for how waste picking can contribute to solutions for the urban and environmental crisis.