Delhi Waste Wars

A battle is brewing in Delhi, India over access and control to garbage. For decades, informal wastepickers and recyclers have turned garbage into cash. They cost the government and taxpayer nothing, yet they significantly reduce the waste sent to already overflowing landfills, improve recycling rates and “cooling the earth” by reducing carbon emissions. But recent government plans to privatize trash collection have put the livelihoods of the wastepickers under threat. Meanwhile, new plans to build incinerators funded by carbon credits mean the resources the recyclers depend on may soon go up in smoke.

Delhi Waste Wars from EJOLT on Vimeo.