COVID-19 Crisis: Understanding the Immediate Impacts on Waste Pickers
Key findings and policy recommendations pertaining to waste pickers based on research undertaken as part of the COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy study.
Survey data from 499 waste pickers across nine cities in eight countries found:
1. Waste pickers experienced a sudden and dramtic decline in average daily earnings while costs of operating their business increased in the first six months of 2020. Economic recovery was slower for women than for men waste pickers.
2. The distribution of economic assistance, personal protective equipment (PPE) and food aid was limited and uneven in the first four months of the pandemic; in cities where relief was provided, waste pickers faced numerous barriers in accessing aid.
3. Many waste pickers relied on cooperative and family networks to cope with reduced earnings.
4. Most informal waste pickers reported increased occupational health hazards as the pandemic progressed, which impacted them, their families and communities.
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