Who are Informal Waste Workers and What is the Informal Waste Sector?

Informal Waste Workers (IWWs), also known as waste pickers, rag pickers, scavengers, or cycle hawkers, are individuals who make a living by recovering valuable materials from waste. Their work involves manually sorting through waste from various sources, such as households, streets, dumping sites, and landfills, to extract items like plastic bottles, paper, glass, cardboard, and metals. These recovered materials are then sold to scrap dealers or directly to recycling facilities.

The Informal Waste Sector refers to the system in which these workers operate. It is characterized by precarious, unregulated employment, often lacking formal contracts, social protections, or labor rights. This sector functions largely beyond municipal reach and outside legal and institutional frameworks, but plays a significant role in waste reduction and resource efficiency, particularly in urbanizing nations. Despite its vital contribution to environmental sustainability and urban cleanliness, the informal waste sector is often unrecognized and its workers marginalized.

Historically, waste collection and recycling have been activities with the lowest social status, often performed by outcasts, marginalized groups, or specific castes. In Nepal, this work was traditionally assigned to the "kuchikars," a low-caste community.