Occupational Groups in the Informal EconomyWaste Pickers

It is estimated that 15–20 million people in the world work as informal waste pickers.

The ILO report indicates that an estimated 4 million workers are formally employed in the waste management and recycling industry, which means that workers in informal employment make up the bulk of this industry.

Of the 281,000 waste pickers (catadores) in Brazil, most are men (70%), while women comprise 30%. Although the absolute number of waste pickers has increased in recent years, waste pickers account for between 0.1% and 0.4% of all workers in Brazil. Although this is a low share, these workers are responsible for high recycling rates in the country. Brazil recycles 97% of cans and 67% of cardboard.

In Bogota, Colombia, there are more than 25,000 waste pickers. Bogota has a registration system updated yearly that provides data on waste pickers – the RURO (Unified Registry of Waste Pickers of Bogota). This comprehensive database on waste pickers, their work and their social characteristics compiles data through a variety of sources including waste picker organizations and the Special Administrative Unit of Public Services in Bogota.

Access to waste and privatization of waste are key issues that impact waste pickers’ livelihoods. At the First Global Strategic Workshop of Waste Pickers in Pune, India, in 2012, waste picker representatives from 22 countries identified privatization of access to waste as the biggest common threat to waste pickers’ livelihoods.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has threatened workers’ access to recyclables in several places. WIEGO has supported workers’ organizations in documenting different systems of EPR across the world and advocating that governments ensure the implementation of mandatory inclusive EPR policies.

Waste pickers’ earnings vary widely between regions, by the type of work they do, and for women and men. In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where waste pickers are recognized and supported by governments and organized into strong cooperatives, waste pickers appear to have higher incomes than other workers in informal employment. By contrast, waste pickers in Nakuru, Kenya, subsist on meagre returns.

Men consistently earn more than women waste pickers, in particular among non-organized workers. In cooperative settings, the gap is less pronounced.

Waste pickers’ earnings are affected by market-driven prices for recyclables. Waste pickers require adequate space for sorting and storing collected materials until they can fetch a higher price.

The current cost-of-living crisis in many parts of the world hits waste pickers hard. In the 2008/09 global economic crisis, research by WIEGO and its Inclusive Cities partners found the crisis caused a marked drop in the demand for and price of waste. At the same time, many more newly unemployed people turned to waste picking to earn a living.

Within value chains, waste pickers are in a disadvantaged position. They often have difficulty negotiating prices and maintain exploitative relations with buyers.

Waste pickers provide recyclable materials to formal enterprises. In several countries, they have created cooperatives, which give them a political voice and also better bargaining power with middlemen. Collectives have engaged with large corporations to press towards implementation of social responsibility programs and safeguards.

For background, see The Urban Informal Workforce: Waste Pickers/Recyclers.

Social stigmatization compounds waste pickers’ difficulties. Most waste pickers have low levels of formal education and in many places the work is done by disadvantaged groups. For example, in Pune, India, waste picking remains confined to the Scheduled Castes. In many cities around the world, migrants with few other employment options take up this work.

For waste pickers, harassment is a part of daily life. Treated as nuisances by authorities and with disdain by the public, waste pickers are usually ignored within public policy processes and are sometimes even arrested or assaulted. They face exploitation and intimidation by middlemen. Interviews with waste pickers, observation of their work and visits to a dozen dumpsites in six Latin American countries – conducted as part of WIEGO’s Waste Pickers and Human Rights project and summarized in this report (in Spanish) – painted a picture of working conditions so poor that they amounted to human rights violations. A toolkit (in Spanish) has been developed for waste pickers to understand their rights and how to stand up for them.

Waste pickers’ organizations are a key force in counteracting this social and legal exclusion.

Women waste pickers typically earn less than men and often face other forms of inequality. The Latin American Waste Pickers’ Network (Red Lacre), the National Movement of Waste Pickers in Brazil (MNCR), and WIEGO created a project about gender in the context of waste picking in 2012.

Handling waste poses many health risks. Waste pickers are exposed to contaminants and hazardous materials, from fecal matter and medical waste to toxic fumes and chemicals. Those who work at open dumps face risks caused by trucks, fires and surface slides. Some must take collected waste home to sort or store, introducing dangers to the home. A lack of worker protection and poor access to health care aggravate these risks. Open dumps pose environmental and health concerns, but any dump closure must include a comprehensive and articulated approach that addresses the impacts on waste pickers.

Waste pickers endure ergonomic hazards such as heavy lifting and repetitive motion, and may experience back and other pain. In the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, WIEGO’s Cuidar Project is working to build knowledge and capacity on key preventive measures that address these ergonomic problems.

God is My Alarm Clock: A Brazilian Waste Picker’s Story tells how waste picker Dona Maria Brás worked to set up cooperative ventures where waste picker members gain respect and security.

Waste pickers faced specific risks in the COVID-19 pandemic – from handling contaminated materials to losing essential daily earnings when governments ordered work stoppages and told people to stay home.