Formalization of Informal Waste Pickers’ Cooperatives in Blantyre, Malawi: A Feasibility Assessment

Abstract

Poor road networks, inadequate financial resources and low levels of political will mean that many developing countries, especially their unplanned settlements, struggle with solid waste management. Recently, Informal Waste Pickers (IWPs) have been incorporated into waste management cooperatives by formalizing their operations as a strategy to improve the quality and efficiency of waste management in such areas. This study was conducted in Zingwangwa, an unplanned settlement in Blantyre, Malawi, to understand whether the formalization of IWPs into cooperatives could be effective and/or accepted as a way of managing Municipal Solid Waste in unplanned urban settlements in Malawi. Thirty-four IWPs in Zingwangwa were identified and interviewed using a structured questionnaire; personnel from the Blantyre City Council and middlemen were interviewed as key informants. We determined that IWPs experience challenges in all dimensions of their lives: low material prices with exploitative price fluctuations, negative public perception and a lack of transportation are a few of their struggles. Furthermore, a fear of decreased income, conflicts during proceeds sharing, free riding behaviors and an attachment to their independence mean that IWPs are unlikely to form a cooperative on their own though some would be willing to join if a third party initiated the formalization process.

Waste Mismanagement in Developing Countries: A Review of Global Issues

“…The two waste categories selected by the pickers are plastic and metals. No data are available for quantifying the number of waste pickers, however it was estimated that the maximum quantity of waste selected per day was about 20–30 kg d −1 [130]. In Harare, Zimbabwe, where the quantities of waste generated within the city are not known, the informal sector operates, mainly in open dump sites.…”

Formal and informal waste selective collection in developing megacities: Analysis of residents’ involvement in Bolivia

“…However, its implementation is a challenge in low-middle income countries: low economic level (Gallardo et al, 2018), lack of legislation and poor administrative logistic (Gallardo et al, 2012), low interest of the political leadership, lack of appropriate infrastructure (Vaz et al, 2015), low-level technology (Chu et al, 2016) and widespread environmental issues (Ibáñez-Forés et al, 2017) are problems that should be overcome for introducing waste SC systems (SCS). More difficult is the application of SCS in developing megacities, due to the high urbanization rate, lack of urban planning, differences among the neighbourhoods of the city (Wilson et al, 2012), and the presence of the informal sector (IS) (Kasinja and Tilley, 2018).…”

Can Circular Economy Legislation Promote Pollution Reduction? Evidence from Urban Mining Pilot Cities in China

“…The theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that pro-recycling attitudes determine recycling intention and behavior [1,44]. Government intervention in waste re-cycling is inevitable since its economic value is less than its financial cost [45]. Waste-pickers cannot sufficiently solve waste problems without government intervention [46].…”