Informal Waste Pickers Research Articles

Historical Review of Waste Management and Recycling in South Africa

Recycling has been taking place in South Africa for more than three decades, driven by social and economic needs. While the waste hierarchy is embedded in national policy, an extensive legislative framework has made it more and more challenging for the public and private sector to remain compliant and competitive in a local and global market, and still drive waste away from landfill towards reuse, recycling and recovery. A local recycling economy, on par with many developed countries, is in part due to a large and active informal waste sector. In the absence of separation at source across South African cities and towns, informal waste pickers have been key to accessing resources which the private sector has struggled to access, due to gatekeeping by municipalities. The South African waste and recycling sector can be defined in terms of four main stages of development—“The Age of Landfilling”, “The Emergence of Recycling”, “The Flood of Regulation” and “The Drive for EPR”, and is currently standing on the brink of a fifth stage—“The future is a Circular Economy”. The low hanging fruit, the easy to collect and recycle products, has been reaped. Moving to higher diversion from landfill targets will require more investment by the private sector and by government in the future. The social, economic and environmental benefits of doing this are clear, but must be balanced against the cost that will ultimately be borne by society, as consumers.

Household waste and health risks affecting waste pickers and the environment in low- and middle-income countries

Household waste has evolved into a core urban challenge, with increased quantities of waste being generated and with more complex material compositions, often containing toxic and hazardous elements. Critical systems theory understands cities as urban metabolisms, with different material and energy flows, highlighting the circularity in production, consumption, and discard. Waste pickers in low- and medium-income countries work on dumps and landfills, sifting through highly contaminated household waste and are exposed to health hazards. This paper discusses the risk factors, hazards, and vulnerabilities waste pickers are exposed to during collection and separation of recyclables, based on the review of literature on waste and environmental health and on findings from participatory research with waste pickers conducted in Brazil. We take a social and environmental justice perspective and identify the vulnerabilities and waste-borne hazards of household waste, associated with these workers, their communities, watersheds, and the environment. Household waste, although not always per se toxic or hazardous, can become a hazard if not collected or inadequately managed. Those communities where household waste is not collected or waste collection is insufficient are the most critical places. Informal and organized waste pickers, municipal or private waste collectors/workers, small waste traders and sometimes residents, particularly small children, may be considered vulnerable if exposed to waste-borne hazards. The results include recommendations to address household waste-borne hazards and vulnerabilities, according to waste workers involved in this research.

Co-operatives as a development mechanism to support job creation and sustainable waste management in South Africa

South Africa, as with most African countries, is facing the reality of limited economic growth, high levels of poverty and increasing unemployment. At the same time, waste generation is growing, especially in urban centres across Africa, posing a great sustainability challenge. However, the waste sector can provide significant opportunities for improving livelihoods, generating jobs and developing enterprises, through the recovery of valuable recyclables. Co-operatives are recognised as a means of formalising the large number of informal waste pickers in developing countries. This paper attempts to identify the challenges facing waste and recycling co-operatives in South Africa. Results suggest that such co-operatives still face numerous challenges relating to infrastructure, operations, and capability. They still operate largely on the fringe of municipal solid waste management, and have not been integrated effectively into such formal collection systems, making it difficult for them to access sufficiently high volumes of recyclables. In addition, some co-operatives are operating as traditional businesses (e.g. following Pty Ltd business models) with the five co-operative members (minimum required membership for registering a co-operative) taking on management roles and instead employing staff to undertake the collection and sorting of recyclables. This is sometimes done through written contracts, but often it is through verbal contracts or no formal contracts at all. Many co-operatives appear to be opportunistic in their registration, targeting short-term co-operative grants and responding to procurement policies that support co-operative development, rather than aiming for long-term sustainability. With a reported 91.8% failure rate of waste recycling co-operatives in South Africa, and the return of many co-operative members back into the informal sector, this business model is not currently creating sustainable businesses or jobs. The results highlight three criteria which are considered crucial to creating a viable co-operative movement in the solid waste management sector in South Africa; access to materials, access to markets, and business development support.

Waste pickers in the informal economy of the Global South: included or excluded?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the role and practices of informal waste pickers and the implications for waste management policy in urban contexts of the Global South.Design/methodology/approachQualitative case studies were used, including interviews, observations and document analyses. The authors compared informal waste management in two cities of the Global South: Accra (Ghana) and Porto Alegre (Brazil).FindingsThe analysis points out that informal waste pickers play a crucial role in the implementation of waste policies in both cities, despite differing economic, social and institutional contexts. The study of the waste management system also points to multiple connections between informal and formal parts of the economy. Although the informal waste pickers are integral to the waste management systems, their economically disadvantaged position excludes them from the formal labour market. Faced with these challenges, they develop creative solutions to guarantee their livelihood and gain more effective collective voice.Research limitations/implicationsThe comparison of two case studies, conducted about the same social phenomenon in two different economic, institutional and social contexts, has limited generalisability but is theoretically and practically important.Practical implicationsThe findings are relevant to policy-makers who deal with urban waste management and for organisations who develop support actions for informal workers.Originality/valueThe authors draw on a comparison of qualitative case studies to explore the multidimensionality of the waste picker’s phenomenon. This paper sparks discussion among scholars and experts who study the informal economy from different perspectives, in this case bridging insights from sociology and victimology.

Pros and cons of the formation of waste-pickers\u2019 cooperatives: a comparison between Brazil and Indonesia

Informal waste-pickers can contribute to municipal solid waste management by significantly reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or lies unattended in streets and watercourses, and they can recover important resources. We want to build on recent studies on the role of informal waste-pickers by highlighting one particular aspect: the degree waste-pickers are organized into cooperatives. Stimulated by the paradox that, despite the apparent advantages of waste-picker cooperatives, not all waste-pickers in the cities are members of a cooperative, we have made a comparative study of waste-picking in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Surabaya (Indonesia). We focus on three aspects: waste as an (economic) resource, the low social status of waste-pickers, and their role in urban solid waste management. We shall argue that not only do cooperatives have positive effects on waste-picking but there are also negative consequences.

From informality to formality: Perspectives on the challenges of integrating solid waste management into the urban development and planning policy in Johannesburg, South Africa

Informal waste recycling has become an important activity in the urban South Africa. In the city of Johannesburg for example, informal waste pickers have now become part of the waste management landscape and are involved in municipal waste collection, sorting and recycling of economically viable recyclable materials such as paper, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and ferrous metals. Using empirical data collected through the tradition of participatory research, the findings suggest that waste pickers play a vital role in municipal solid waste management and make a significant contribution to the city's economic growth as well as environmental wellness. Despite their contribution, the findings also suggest that, the institutional and policy framework in Johannesburg has continued to not positively integrate the informal sector into the formal systems of solid waste. It is therefore, suggested in the paper that for the city of Johannesburg to effectively and efficiently manage solid waste, it is important that the city managers look for avenues through which they can integrate the two systems of solid waste practices prevalent in the city. The perspective has been analysed within the broader sustainability discourse.

Waste pickers and cities

The occupation of waste picker has taken on new importance as a livelihood, especially since the last global economic downturn. Increasingly, waste pickers are being recognized for their valuable contributions to urban sustainability and development. Drawing from scholarship on waste pickers, and findings from a recent study conducted in five cities across three continents, this paper discusses the environmental and economic contributions of informal waste pickers to cities. This paper argues for the re-conceptualization of solid waste management systems that integrate waste pickers as partners, as key to building just, inclusive and livable cities for all. It also presents a specific model in which informal waste workers are integrated as key stakeholders as one example of best practice in this area, thus contributing to current discussions on integrated and inclusive solid waste models.

Solid waste management in Bogotá: the role of recycling associations as investigated through SWOT analysis

In emerging economies, recycling provides an opportunity for cities to increase the lifespan of sanitary landfills, to reduce the costs of solid waste management, to decrease environmental problems from waste treatment by reincorporating waste into the productive cycle and to protect and develop the livelihoods of citizens who work as informal waste pickers. However, few studies have analysed the possibilities of and strategies for integrating the formal and informal sectors in solid waste management for the benefit of both. This integration is the key, especially in developing countries, to understanding how the recycling population can develop a business despite their social and economic limitations. The aim of this study was to perform a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis of three recycling associations in Bogota with the aim of examining and understanding the recycling situation from the perspective of members of the informal sector in their transition to becoming authorised waste providers. This issue has rarely been studied in the context of developing countries. The data used in the analysis are derived from multiple sources, including a literature review, Bogota’s recycling database, focus group meetings, governmental reports, national laws and regulations and interviews with key stakeholders. The results of this study show that as the primary stakeholders, the formal and informal waste management sectors can identify the internal and external conditions of recycling in Bogota. Several strategies were designed based on the SWOT analysis. The participation of recycling associations is important in the design and application of waste policy, the consolidation of recycling through an effective business model, promotional programmes for social inclusion and the development of new transformation processes and technologies to valorise recycling materials. In conclusion, recycling associations can become authorised waste providers through a profitable business that increases recycling rates to create a productive process from waste during the generation of new materials and to decrease environmental problems while improving the welfare and living conditions of recyclers. These findings are important for Bogota to advance and promote recycling as a key strategy for integrated sustainable waste management in the city.

System dynamics model for the municipal solid waste management system in the metropolitan area of Medellín, Colombia

This paper analyses the management of municipal solid waste in the metropolitan area of Medellin (Colombia). The composition and production of solid waste, the collection system, the informal and formal sectors in the region, the different flows of materials and its final disposal, are some topics that have been considered. A basic model for the SWM system in the city has been developed based on the system dynamics methodology. With the help of the Vensim PLE software, it has been possible to simulate different scenarios, such as the implementation of the formalisation process of the informal waste pickers that are present in the city. The generation of waste for the residential sector in Aburra Valley is 49,115.2 ton/month, and only 12.5% of the solid waste produced is reintroduced into the production cycle. Part of this work is done by approximately 4,474 waste pickers, but only 10.63% of them are part of pre-cooperatives or cooperatives. The outcomes of the model for the geographical area allow to conclude that the inclusion of the informal sector in the municipal solid waste management system would imply huge benefits related to the social, economic and environmental aspects of the system.

Abfallsammlung in Buenos Aires

With the collapse of the Argentine economy in the late 1990s between 20.000 and 25.000 persons in Buenos Aires got involved with informal waste picking. When public pressure became too strong in 2001, the municipal and national government started to work on a plan for the implementation of an integrated solid waste management, in which private waste enterprises and waste pickers’ cooperatives shall collaborate in order to improve the city‘s recycling activities. With the new model, however, the waste pickers themselves were also taken into account as new social actors. Considering the importance of formality and informality, this paper analyses the design of the bonaerense model for in - tegrated solid waste management. First, economic-historical perspectives of theoretical con - cepts of formality and informality are discussed, followed by a review of the developments in the waste sector since 2001. Finally, light is thrown on the impact and scope of formality and informality for the integration of informal waste pickers.

Who owns urban waste? Appropriation conflicts in emerging countries.

Managing solid waste in developing cities is not an easy task and many public policies have failed to bring the expected results. It is here argued that comprehending the solid waste handling in the South implies reconsidering the proper definition of waste. Where does the product end and where does rubbish begin? The answer to this question is far from being obvious. Solid waste appears as a blurred concept. Such a thorny issue is all the more relevant today, as municipal solid waste management approaches in the developing world are being reformulated: dumping sites are banned, sanitary landfills are imposed, and separate collection is being introduced. The current sector transformations are here analysed through a novel theoretical analysis combined with an original qualitative and quantitative empirical work. Through two case-studies of one-million inhabitant cities from emerging countries, it is shown that if appropriation conflicts arise that is because the urban solid waste deposit in Southern countries can be defined as an impure public good. This issue does not only involve private service operators and informal wastepickers; several other actors covet the urban solid waste deposit's cream, that is, recyclable items. In emerging countries, huge industrial groups are starting to target domestic recyclable waste as an alternative for raw materials, which costs are increasing ever more.

Characteristics of Diverted Solid Waste in Kumasi: A Ghanaian City

Waste diversion from landfills has generally been neglected in the developing world despite its potential to prolong the lifespan of landfills and generate revenues. This study aims at characterizing diverted solid waste fractions at communal collection points in seven communities and determining the trends in landfilled solid waste due to the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) mechanism. It is based on quantitative measurements of diverted waste by informal waste pickers at communal collection points in seven communities in the Kumasi metropolis and analysis of landfilled waste records prior to and after the introduction of the PAYT mechanism. The study shows a daily diversion rate of 19.4±9.2kg per informal waste picker per day with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.29). This constitutes just 0.5w/w% of the total waste stream at communal collection points. The diverted waste is dominated by plastics (50%) and metals (29%). Generally, the diverted waste quantities are hugely dependent on the storage capacities of the informal waste pickers while the types of recovered items depend on readily available market. The introduction of the PAYT system, as observed from the study, immediately caused a decline (28%) in waste disposed of at communal collection points but steadily appreciated with time (26% and 13% consecutive reductions in subsequent years). The study recommends support for the informal sector, Public-Private Partnerships for waste recycling and intensive public education on PAYT mechanism prior to and after its introduction.

Integration of informal waste pickers in dengue fever control partnerships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Integration of informal waste pickers in dengue fever control partnerships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The collection system for residential recyclables in communities in Haidian District, Beijing: A possible approach for China recycling

Recycling and reusing recyclables is an important way to solve the municipal solid waste (MSW) problem. As the collection of solid waste takes up the largest percentage of MSW management budgets, improving the collection of recyclables is important. Since the decline of government-run waste buying depots in the late 1980s, the collection of recyclables from households and waste deposit sites in China is done by buyers with small informal bases and waste pickers, who are usually unskilled rural people who have come to the cities. Because of this, the current system is seen to have social problems. So, the recyclable collection system has both social as well as economic significance. China is in the process of rapid industrialization and urbanization, and a new mode of community collection system is emerging. It operates by market mechanisms, with waste collection companies that are supported by the municipal government, establishing recycle service sites, and employing workers to buy recyclables door-to-door. This paper is a case study of the new system in the Haidian District, Beijing. It summarizes the system, compares it to experiences in other countries and discusses whether the new approach contributes to resources recycling in China.

Surviving from garbage: the role of informal waste-pickers in a dynamic model of solid-waste management in developing countries

In developing countries, informal waste-pickers (known as scavengers) play an important role in solid waste management systems, acting in a parallel way to formal waste collection and disposal agents. Scavengers collect, from the streets, dumpsites, or landfills, re-usable and recyclable material that can be reincorporated into the economy's production process. Despite the benefits that they generate to society, waste-pickers are ignored when waste management policies are formulated. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the role of scavengers in a dynamic model of production, consumption, and recovery, and to show that, in an economy producing solid waste, efficiency can be reached using a set of specific and complementary policies: a tax on virgin materials use, a tax on consumption and disposal, and a subsidy to the recovery of material. A numerical simulation is performed to evaluate the impact of these policies on landfill lifetime and natural resource stocks. A discussion on the implementation of these instruments is also included.

Slim pickin's: Supporting waste pickers in the ecological modernization of urban waste management systems

Informal sector scavengers or waste pickers have been unrecognized stakeholders on the fringes of the urban waste landscape since the nineteenth century. Although solid waste systems of both rich and poor countries continue to change radically in the process of (ecological) modernization, the living conditions and position of waste pickers have changed little, and then usually for the worse. Development approaches focusing on pickers' welfare, capacities and rights consistently fail to help. A systems approach that instead focuses on the opportunities provided by the modernization process provides a stronger framework for legitimizing the role of pickers and strengthening their livelihoods.

Wastepaper in Mumbai (India) an approach for abridged life cycle assessment

In this study, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of waste-paper was conducted in Mumbai (India). The wastepaper cycle was divided into four main life stages - Generation, Collection, Utilisation and Disposal. A survey of major stakeholders involved in this cycle, namely informal waste-pickers, buyers, wholesalers and paper manufacturers, was carried out to determine the socio-economic and environmental aspect of each stage. The LCA Abridged Matrix Method was applied for Life Cycle Assessment. The resulting LCA matrix showed that, while there was a moderate environmental impact of wastepaper during generation, collection and disposal stages, the utilisation stage had a significant impact on the environment, especially during manufacturing in paper factories