Characteristics, challenges and innovations of waste picker organizations: A comparative perspective between Latin American and East African countries

Abstract

Waste picker organisations (WPOs) around the globe collect, transport and process waste to earn their living but represent a widely excluded, marginalised and impoverished segment of society. WPOs are highly innovative, created by grassroots out of “nothing” to deliver economic, social and environmental sustainability. Still, we do not know how such innovations are developed, and how they are disseminated and adopted by other groups. This article examines characteristics, challenges and innovations of WPOs across five countries in Latin America and East Africa. It is based on quantitative and qualitative data regarding modes of organisation and management, gender, received support, business orientations, environmental and social contributions, and innovations developed in response to multiple challenges. The paper provides a comprehensive understanding of WPOs’ activities and their grassroots innovations in the Global South. The study shows how WPOs contribute significantly to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the societies they serve as well as the wider urban societies. To start and maintain WPOs in informal settlements with a lack of infrastructure, institutional frameworks, and public and private investors is a difficult quest. WPOs take many different organisational forms depending on the complexity of local realities, ranging from advanced collective organization as cooperatives to small self-help groups and microentrepreneurs. Self-organisation into regional and national networks provides economic opportunities, autonomy and stability as well as political influence. Yet, institutional support is fundamental and the lack thereof threatens their existence. Sustaining WPOs as important providers of socio-environmental benefits through governmental and non-governmental actions is a worthwhile undertaking that builds sustainability.

Grassroots Eco-Social Innovations Driving Inclusive Circular Economy

“…The study is empirically informed by the Recycling Networks & Waste Governance international research projects, involving a large multidisciplinary team of international researchers and students that examine waste governance and grassroots innovations developed by WPOs and networks in different parts of the world. In 2018, the multinational research team conducted surveys with more than 100 waste picker organizations (WPOs) in Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, Nicaragua and Tanzania, examining the history and characteristics of these initiatives, their governance structures, funding and equipment situations, types of work conducted, characteristics of the workers and the working conditions, network relations, and general challenges and innovations of WPOs (Kain, Zapata, de Azevedo, ,Carenzo, Charles, Gutberlet, Reynosa and Zapats Campos, 2022). The study also included 100 in-depth interviews with a selection of WPO members, with key informants in local governments and with other waste governance actors.…”

Grassroots Innovations in Solid Waste Management

“…Further extensive research conducted by the team mentioned earlier, applying a survey and key informant interviews in the 5 countries of study reveals a wealth of findings (Kain et al, 2022). Waste picker organizations often face multiple challenges, which makes it difficult for them to develop as niche for innovation (Table 1).…”

“…Table 2 summarizes some of the innovations captured in the research conducted by the Recycling Networks and Waste Governance project. The case studies provide examples of waste pickers innovating the commercialization or management processes, experimenting with knowledge transfer to the public, government or business community; or with innovations allowing them to add value and transform some of the materials that regularly arrive at their organizations, by creating specific machines or new processes to add value (Kain et al, 2022).…”

Barriers to Inclusive Recycling in Asunción, Paraguay: A Just Transition?

“…Successful, pro‐poor inclusive recycling reforms require significant transformations in the governance of waste, meaningfully including waste pickers in policy design and implementation, launching dedicated agencies to oversee informal economy integration, and conceptualizing waste as a common property resource to which waste pickers have priority access (Dias, 2011, 2016; Samson, 2015b). Successful pro‐poor innovations also emerge out of decades of organizing and struggle, supported by external advocates including researchers, churches, NGOs and broader social movements (Dias, 2011; Kain et al., 2022; Rosaldo et al., 2012; Samson, 2015b).…”