What are the proposed solutions for informal waste workers?

Proposed solutions for empowering and integrating informal waste workers aim to improve their livelihoods, working conditions, and social standing, while enhancing overall waste management efficiency:

• Formal Recognition and Inclusion
• Grant legal status, labor rights, and social protection to IWWs through policy reforms. Brazil's recognition of "catadores" as a distinct profession in 2002 serves as a historical example.
• Include IWWs in decision-making processes related to urban waste management planning.
• Develop detailed master plans for waste management that actively incorporate the informal waste system.
• Cooperative and Association Models
• Foster the establishment and support of cooperatives and associations (e.g., SWaCH in Pune, India, and SASAJA Cooperative in Kathmandu) to provide collective bargaining power, shared resources, and better market negotiation capabilities.
• These models can help IWWs bypass exploitative middlemen, allowing them to receive higher prices for their recyclables and achieve more stable income.
• Cooperatives can also diversify services to include cleaning services for cities and private industries, increasing earnings.
• Improved Working Conditions and Safety
• Implement capacity-building initiatives that offer training in waste segregation and provide proper personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, facemasks, and safety boots.
• Ensure access to health support, including medical facilities, free vaccines (e.g., Tetanus, Hepatitis B), and testing for infections.
• Address the lack of sanitary facilities, such as washrooms and changing areas, at landfill sites and informal workplaces.
• Regulate informal waste collection points with clear signage, proper handling systems, and healthcare provisions to create safer work environments.
• Economic Sustainability and Fair Payment
• Interventions are needed to improve income stability, which is often unstructured and unpredictable for IWWs.
• Governments should establish national funds financed through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) approaches, taxes, or plastics use fees based on the "polluter pays" principle, to ensure fair payment for IWW services.
• Establish decentralized hubs and buy-back centers near collection zones to stabilize prices, reduce intermediaries, and maximize economic returns for IWWs.
• Promote entrepreneurship among IWWs to increase their income and reduce dependence on informal waste collection.
• Collaboration and Partnerships
• Foster Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), as seen in Pune, India, where the Municipal Corporation partnered with SWaCH to achieve high recycling rates.
• Encourage municipal and NGO partnerships to promote waste segregation at source and establish waste management infrastructure.
• Ensure long-term support and systematic implementation of initiatives, as initial projects can wane without continued backing.
• Waste Management System Improvements
• Promote and mandate waste segregation at the source (household and commercial levels) to improve the quality and value of collected recyclables.
• Prioritize decentralized waste management systems for improved efficiency.
• Adopt appropriate technologies like windrow composting that utilize unskilled labor and are suitable for local conditions, as opposed to expensive, imported machinery.
• Encourage producers to reduce the types of plastics and additives in products to simplify collection, separation, and recycling for IWWs.
• Awareness and Social Change
• Conduct public awareness campaigns to educate society about the importance of waste segregation, recycling, and the critical role of IWWs, helping to combat social stigma and discrimination.
• Instill responsible waste management practices through early education and training for children.
• Work to evolve societal biases against IWWs, recognizing them not as symbols of poverty but as agents for environmental conservation.