The informal waste sector in Nepal has a long-standing historical presence, with operations spanning more than 50 years. Generations have passed their lives doing this work.
Historically, waste management practices in Kathmandu were deeply embedded in religious, cultural, and social institutions. Before modern methods, people in the Kathmandu Valley traditionally created manure pits ("Saaga" and "Nauga") in their households to produce organic fertilizer for their agricultural land. Waste management was also traditionally considered the responsibility of "untouchable" castes, such as Kuchikaars (sweepers) from the Newar ethnic group, who collected and dumped waste in open fields and riverbanks using tools like buffalo ribs and traditional baskets. This assignment of waste work to specific castes was even mentioned in Nepal's civil code, Muluki Ain 1854. This traditional mentality of associating waste work with the caste system still holds influence.
The composition of waste changed from primarily organic to more inorganic after Nepal opened its borders in the 1950s and began trading with other countries, making traditional organic manure production less feasible. As population grew and industrial activities increased, traditional methods became inadequate, leading to issues like waste dump sites and threats to public health.
The informal sector, consisting of individuals or small and micro-enterprises not formally registered or charged with providing waste management services, has played an increasingly vital role. In low-income countries, the informal recycling sector is crucial for solid waste (SW) recycling. It has been a common way for the urban poor to earn income in developing countries. The sector's prominence also grew during economic crises, such as in Latin America in the 1980s and Asia in the 1990s, when employment in the informal sector became a popular alternative to formal unemployment.
Despite its historical contributions, the social and economic contributions of the informal sector have largely remained unrecognized by governments and communities, even though they are estimated to save local authorities significant costs on collection and final disposal, In Kathmandu alone, informal waste workers are estimated to manage approximately 10% of the total Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and 15% in the wider Kathmandu Valley region, recovering millions of dollars' worth of recyclables annually,. However, information and data on the informal sector are often not maintained by municipal authorities,
The governmental perception of the informal waste sector has historically varied, ranging from repression (declaring scavenging illegal and subject to punishment), to neglect (ignoring their contributions), collusion (exploitation-based partnerships), and stimulation (recognizing and supporting their economic, social, and environmental benefits). In Kathmandu, the attitude of local authorities towards informal workers has largely been one of indifference and neglect, despite their visible presence. This has resulted in a situation where the informal waste sector operates amidst neglect and avoidance from authorities, with no sound policy mechanisms developed to support or integrate their activities.
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