Informal Waste Recyclers and Their Environmental Services

Abstract

Abstract Informal waste recyclers are those people who segregate and collect recyclable waste, in order to sell it to make a livelihood. Despite the World Bank reports that the informal recycling sector employs about 1% of the urban population in developing countries, their contribution to waste management has neither been evaluated nor compensated. This chapter fills this gap. First, it provides an assessment of the current available data set on waste management in Delhi, leading to a first approximate estimation of recycling rates. It also discusses a taxonomy of informal recyclers based on their means of transport and their area of collection, as well as how their absolute number can be estimated. Second, it suggests a new methodology to evaluate their contribution. This aims to reliably estimate how much they recycle, what type of materials, and how much they earn. To this end, data for 100 informal recyclers for one year were collected from junk dealers’ ledgers. Results show that in Delhi informal recyclers collect approximately 50 kg of recyclable material per day, mostly plastic and paper (60% and 30% of their income, respectively), but also metals, hair, and organic materials. They earn roughly 8,000 Indian Rupees per month (about US$125). This is close to the minimum wage, but as recyclers themselves claim, public authorities should compensate them for their services. The chapter develops two policy proposals that suggests a monthly payment for collection as well as recycling services, respectively 4,200 Rupees (about US$65), and 1,500 Rupees (US$25).