Grassroots waste picker organizations addressing the UN sustainable development goals

Abstract

Worldwide waste pickers work under deplorable conditions and are not recognized for their environmental and community services, by recovering and diverting recyclable materials from waste. Brazil has accumulated experiences of international relevance, particularly between 2004 and 2015, due to institutional and policy support for the Social and Solidarity Economy and the creation of a National Waste Pickers' movement. These conditions have favored the formation of new recycling cooperatives throughout the country. While there is still a wide spectrum of differences among these membershipbased organizations, they also have many characteristics in common and share similar values and objectives. This research aims to demonstrate that when organized and supported by public policies and inclusive governance these groups are able to tackle several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article presents results of a case study, conducted over the period of 5 months in 2018, involving 21 waste picker cooperatives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection included the application of a questionnaire to the leaders of the 21 cooperatives and site visits to their facilities, including informal conversations with members. Data was collected at the cooperatives and involved note taking and voice recording. The data was transcribed and tabled for the subsequent content analysis. The results demonstrate the impacts of the work of organized waste pickers on SDGs (goals # 1, 5, 8, 11 and 12). The study shows how these groups address social, economic and environmental targets, how they build resilience and reduce vulnerabilities. Many cooperatives still operate under precarious conditions, suffering from weak government commitments and neglect or from the volatility of the economy. Public policies and participation in governance are instrumental in acknowledging waste picker organizations and remunerating their services to thus unlock their full potential to further the progress on the implementation of SDGs. Political will is paramount for waste pickers to become the champions in the transition to more sustainable development.

From Waste Pickers to Producers: An Inclusive Circular Economy Solution through Development of Cooperatives in Waste Management

“…They provide job security, improved working conditions and higher wages, resilience to economic shocks, and leadership opportunities for women. Most importantly, they provide connection to the formal economy, as cooperatives are legally recognized entities that are considered to be part of the formal sector [4]. Interventions aimed at empowering waste pickers must therefore invest in the organization of business cooperatives, especially in cases where cooperatives have not yet been formed or are weak [22].…”

“…This paper advances an inclusive circular economy solution that aims to empower waste pickers in the developing world. Waste pickers have the potential to act as environmental stewards by mitigating the effects of waste, contributing to the resilience of urban systems, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through recovery of materials from waste streams, and saving energy and preserving natural resources by enabling recycling and reuse [4]. They play critical roles in waste management, but their full potential to contribute to the circular economy remains unrealized due to their marginalized social status, lack of recognition by authorities, and disconnection from the formal economy.…”

Circularity in the Management of Municipal Solid Waste – A Systematic Review

“…Waste management has become the livelihood of more than 15 million urban poor [4]. Diverting waste pickers into retrieving resources and co-creating city services, particularly in slum urban areas where no formal waste collection would otherwise happening is a good example of integrating poor within the circular economy [73], [74]). This could enhance their livelihood reducing poverty (SDGs 1.1, 1.2).…”

The Integration of Recycling Cooperatives in the Formal Management of Municipal Solid Waste as a Strategy for the Circular Economy—The Case of Londrina, Brazil

“…It is worth mentioning that MSW management with socio-productive participation of catadores is a powerful instrument for socioeconomic inclusion, because besides having the potential to restore human dignity and citizenship to a socially and economically excluded portion of the population [27], it also contributes to the objectives of sustainable development [36] and, moreover, presents the potential to transform environmentally, economically and socially an entire value chain, which begins with the performance of the catadores, goes through the processing industries and ends with the return of the product to the consumer market [9].…”