Before your trash reaches its final destination — such as a recycling facility, landfill or incinerator — it likely passes through someone’s hands. Twenty million people around the world make their living sorting, collecting, recycling and salvaging what the rest of us throw away.
On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we’re learning more about waste picking, safety concerns at work and how waste pickers’ expertise is crucial to tackling the waste crisis — and building a just, zero-waste future.
Recently, Pacific Environment learned and shared the stories of five waste pickers in Vietnam, highlighting their expertise, resilience and contributions to environmental protection. By learning more about the challenges and expertise of waste pickers, we hope to better support zero waste efforts including waste reduction and source separation, advocate for improved working conditions for waste pickers and shift public perception in Vietnam towards more respect for waste pickers.
How many waste pickers are there globally?
The International Alliance of Waste Pickers and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) estimates that more than 20 million people around the world earn an income from collecting, sorting and selling materials for recycling or reuse. However, this number could be higher as waste pickers mostly work in the informal economy, meaning they are often not included in official statistics, censuses and employment surveys.
The term “waste picker” was adopted as the preferred global term at the First World Conference of Waste Pickers in 2008. However, in some specific contexts, other terms preferred by the wastepicking community should be used such as “reclaimers” in portions of South Africa or “canners” in parts of the United States.
Waste pickers have unique insights on the global waste crisis; they understand what exactly is being disposed of and what materials may have value to recyclers or for reuse. These workers keep significant amounts of plastic waste out of our oceans and waterways. However, they are often the last ones invited to the decision-making table and the least protected on the job.
Waste pickers collect materials such as plastic, glass, paper and electronic waste that has been thrown away. They collect materials from households, streets and dumpsites as well as commercial and industrial waste sites. Waste pickers are also impacted by the transnational waste trade, whereby foreign waste — including hazardous, electronic, textile and plastic waste — often overwhelms local waste management systems.
“There are days when I don’t get home until 9 or 10 p.m.,” says Ms. Doan Thi Huong who works in An Khe ward, Da Nang, Vietnam. “Many households don’t sort their garbage so after collecting it, we have to sort it, and we put the recyclable waste into the recycling bin.”
Zero waste, reuse and waste picking
Waste pickers are responsible for nearly 60% percent of post-consumer plastic waste collected for recycling. “I’ve been working as a garbage collector for 15 years and have witnessed the amount of waste increase many times over. Plastic waste — especially plastic bags — is also on the rise,” says Ms. Minh. “I hope households will minimize waste, sort their garbage, separate recyclable waste and reduce the use of plastic bags.”
In some countries, waste pickers provide the only form of solid waste collection, which forms the backbone of recycling and waste management. This work is crucial for the environment and human health: It recovers materials, prevents plastic from being littered in the environment and waterways and reduces open dumping or burning of waste.
“By sorting waste, we give the waste another chance to be reborn,” says Ms. Le Thi Dinh, a waste picker in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Ms. Tran Thi Nhat Le is a waste picker working in Nha Be ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Ms. Le’s work in reuse extends beyond her profession. She also collects unwanted clothing and other items from her community, which she organizes, repairs and sends to the countryside as charity. “Local people support me with clothes, supplies and food. Even other waste pickers receive old clothes to donate to charity, which is called reuse,” says Ms. Le.
Occupational concerns
Waste pickers are exposed to severe occupational hazards, including injuries from sharp objects, exposure to toxic chemicals (including from plastics), respiratory issues and musculoskeletal damage from heavy lifting. Waste pickers, in particular women and the elderly, also report experiencing discrimination, harassment and violence. In Vietnam, waste pickers often travel long distances with loaded carts on busy roads, exposing them to traffic accidents especially at night.
Many around the world do this work without personal protective equipment, for very low wages and are often excluded from policy decisions that directly impact them.
How can we support waste pickers?
According to WEIGO, waste pickers need better policies at all levels of government to increase incomes and guarantee a living wage; build (and implement) standards of work health and safety; integrate waste pickers in adaptation plans; ensure freedom for workers from discrimination; ensure the right to organize collectively. Find out where your waste is managed locally and support the demands of waste pickers and workers in your community.
Ms. Minh sorts waste in Da Nang.
“I wish people would separate recyclable waste from organic waste. By doing that, our work would be easier that way,” says Ms. Minh.
Waste pickers have valuable insights to share that can help address waste, plastic and climate crises. Waste pickers have attended numerous international negotiations related to climate, including the COP climate conferences since COP16, with a delegation attending the People’s Summit for the Climate in Madrid during COP25.
Currently, waste pickers’ participation must be prioritized during the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
The International Alliance for Waste Pickers is a union of waste picker organizations representing more than 460,000 workers across 34 countries. A group of waste pickers representing the Alliance has attended every round of Plastics Treaty negotiations. They have advocated for recognition of their contributions to mitigating the waste crisis, rights’ protection, fair compensation and a just transition to new systems.
Pacific Environment advocates for a strong Global Plastics Treaty and meaningful inclusion of observers and rights holders, including waste pickers, and will continue to do so at the upcoming INC-5.4 negotiations.
