waste pickers

A Success Story from the Markets of Warwick

Written by Lily Nobel

Over the last 3 years, the Warwick zero waste composting project has taken food waste from the Early Morning Market (EMM) in the Markets of Warwick (a neighborhood in Durban, South Africa) and transformed it into nutrient-rich compost at the Durban Botanic Gardens. As landfills in South Africa are rapidly filling up, this project showcases the power of utilizing small spaces and limited resources to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector — a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide. According to the UNEP’s Global Methane Assessment, reducing methane is a crucial step to keep global warming under 1.5°C, the threshold established by the Paris Agreement.

Currently, this project is being upscaled across the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and revolutionizing organic waste management in the area–unlocking resources through saving public funds and creating locally accessible jobs. Empowered by strong partnerships among local organizations, and fueled by effective data collection, this pilot successfully demonstrates the potential of decentralized, environmental justice-centered composting that not only brings climate benefits but also promotes social interests.

Team members from groundWork, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Horticulture Department, the eThekwini Municipality Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit (PRC), the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW), and the Business Support, Markets, Tourism and Agribusiness Unit (BSMTAU) pose together at the Durban Botanic Garden where the composting is done. — Collaboration at the Warwick Zero Waste Project. *Photo credit: Lunga Benghu*

Easily replicable decentralized composting model

In 2022, groundWork, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Horticulture Department, the eThekwini Municipality Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit (PRC), the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW), and the Business Support, Markets, Tourism and Agribusiness Unit (BSMTAU) partnered to launch a composting pilot project in the Durban Botanic Gardens’ permaculture site. It quickly evolved from composting a weekly 240 liter bin of food and vegetable waste to building 12 large compost windrows that are currently maintained to mature compost in a 3-month cycle.

Before zero waste: Organic waste from the EMM goes to the nearest landfills – Buffelsdraai and Illovu landfills – over 35 km away from the city. *Photo credit: Lunga Benghu*

As of March 2024, the pilot has diverted over 72 tonnes of organic waste from landfills by collecting approximately 1.5 tonnes of organic waste from the EMM weekly in two separate collection points and combining this with approximately 1 tonne of garden waste. Since July 2023, the project has supplied over 41 tonnes of compost to the city’s PRC Unit, free of charge, for use in parks and community gardens across the municipality. Samples of the compost undergo regular testing —such as full nutrient analysis, pot trails, and microbial analysis— to refine the ‘recipe’ and to ensure quality control. These tests demonstrate the high quality of the compost produced.

Cost-saving public funds for waste management

While many waste projects often seek investment from external actors, this project utilizes existing resources to unlock significant savings from public funds. By diverting organic waste from landfills, the city reduces the costs associated with landfilling and landfill airspace, which in Durban is estimated to be approximately R1,774 (93 USD) per tonne of waste. The Buffelsdraai and Illovu landfills, the only two operating landfills in Durban, are both located 35 kilometers or more from the city center, leading to high transportation costs. Findings from a cost-benefit analysis report on the project show how the various city departments have the potential to save money from reduced waste management costs and access to free compost. To date, the parks department alone has saved R23,600 (1,250 USD) from compost received through the project. As the project scales up, the savings can be used to sustainably cover the salary of the staff who manage the composters. Unlike waste incineration projects, which require huge capital and operational costs and lock cities in a put-or-pay scheme for decades, this composting model saves the city money, which is then reinvested to rapidly scale the composting model, leading to even bigger savings and opportunities to scale, in a virtuous circle.

Job creation through zero waste

This environmental justice-centered model composting project improves social realities in the area by providing local jobs. On a tonne-for-tonne basis, composting can create three times as many jobs as landfill and incineration. In South Africa, 42.2% of people aged 15-34 years are neither employed, nor enrolled in formal education or training programs as of the last quarter of 2023. As this project is scaled up, composting is estimated to create four jobs per 400 tons of waste processed. The project also improves the working conditions and social protections of the informal market traders, waste collectors, and composters. Moreover, the Warwick zero waste project prioritizes the employment of people from the market and local communities, rather than using machines that often require external experts. In contrast, incineration creates the least amount of jobs and requires workers with highly specialized skills that are not accessible to the local population.

The delivery of Early Morning Market organics to the compost site and windrow preparations. *Photo credit: Lunga Benghu*

Waste methane reduction for South Africa

Meanwhile, source-separated organic collection with composting demonstrates significantly higher climate mitigation and adaptation benefits. Composting alone can prevent as much as 99% of methane emissions that would otherwise come from landfills. When the finished compost is utilized in place of synthetic fertilizer, further GHG emissions are saved by reducing emissions of nitrous oxide, not to mention avoiding the fossil fuel emissions from creating fertilizer. The application of compost to the soil also boosts flood and drought resistance and increases carbon sequestration capacity.

Although South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) provide neither specific targets nor roadmaps for the waste sector, the Warwick zero waste project paves a crucial pathway to help the country improve its national climate goals. By proving the efficacy of decentralized composting projects, the Warwick site can be used as a model for the nation and other countries on how to invest in empowering and inclusive organic management projects powered by local organizations and communities, thereby maximizing municipal resources and local knowledge.

Zero waste markets in Durban and beyond

Currently, the project team and city partners are working on expanding waste collection from the EMM to compost all 400 tonnes of waste generated by the market every year. Alongside this expansion, the team plans to replicate the model in a second market, the Bangladesh Market. In the longer term, the project team is targeting all nine fresh fruit and vegetable markets in Durban, proving the model’s feasibility and efficacy on a larger scale. The project has drawn an increasing interest among other municipalities in South Africa, and the team is actively engaging with government officials across the country and region.

map of markets in Durban, South Africa. Aside from The Early Morning Market where the project is currently ongoing, 8 other fresh produce markets are highlighted in the map. eThekwini municipal markets targeted for scale up and in relation to the Buffelsdraai landfill. We are currently at the Early Morning Market and will be moving to the Bangladesh Market this year. Credit: Ayanda Mnyandu — Growing the zero waste composting model in all the markets in Durban starting with Early Morning Market then moving on to Bangladesh Market this year. *Credit: Ayanda Mnyandu*

No to incineration, go for zero waste

The cost-saving model demonstrated by the Warwick zero waste project can be upscaled rapidly with the right flow of capacity and resource support. This also means ceasing support for inflexible, costly, and carbon-intensive infrastructures, particularly waste incineration. Policymakers and financiers must ensure that investment in organic waste management projects must be aligned with Environmental Justice principles and inclusive of local organizations and knowledge to build lasting environmental and societal impact.

A significant step to comply with the Global Methane Pledge

Contributed by YPBB

In a significant and forward-thinking move, the West Java provincial government officially prohibited the disposal of organic waste in the Sarimukti landfill, located in the West Bandung Regency, effective January 1, 2024. This comes as a response to the August 2023 Sarimukti landfill fires. The policy has the potential to divert 228,855 tons of organic waste per year from Bandung alone — preventing 575,428 tonnes CO2eq of methane emissions per year from the landfill. The West Java Provincial government has targeted a reduction of 754,154 tonnes CO2eq from all the landfills in West Java by 2030. This means that Bandung, the capital of the province, can contribute 75% of the set target.

Apart from reducing methane, this policy has the potential to contribute to environmental justice by significantly reducing river pollution caused by the landfill’s leachate, which is a water source for more than 6,000 people. If implemented in parallel with separate organic waste collection and treatment, cities could save significant costs, particularly on transportation, and it could also contribute to the local economy, creating 6 jobs per tonnes of waste managed, double the current system.

A fireman aims the water hose at a fire at a landfill in Sarimukti — The Sarimukti Landfill catches fire. *source: Sindonews*

Methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide, is an increasingly significant global concern to deliver climate action. According to the UNEP’s Global Methane Assessment, reducing methane is a crucial step to keep global warming under 1´5ºC, the threshold established by the Paris Agreement. Interestingly, the Climate Transparency Report (2022) highlights that Indonesia’s waste sector is the country’s largest methane emitter.

In 2023, Sarimukti landfill, a regional landfill serving four cities in West Java, was projected to surpass its capacity. Landfill fires got out of control – AZWI reported 38 landfill fire occurrences in 2023, attributing methane from organic waste as its root cause. Responding to this critical situation, the Bandung Zero Waste Forum and grassroots groups, particularly Friends of The Earth Indonesia (WALHI) and Yaksa Pelestari Bumi Berkelanjutan (YPBB) —members of Alliance for Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI)— initiated intensive advocacy efforts, targeting the ban of organic waste landfilling and incineration, emphasizing how the air pollution was affecting waste pickers and the community around the landfill. By August 2023, provincial and local governments declared a waste emergency status, and soon after, the organic waste ban to landfill was sealed.

A waste worker in Bandung, Indonesia collects segregated at-source waste, he is seen transferring organic waste from a resident's trash bin to his collection cart. — An informal waste collector conducts separate collection in a neighborhood in Bandung. *source: YPBB*

Incinerator Threat Looms

However, while this policy is a critical milestone for the Metro Bandung area, the provincial government is risking this achievement with a Waste-to-Energy incinerator project proposal in Legok Nangka, a newly built regional landfill to replace Sarimukti. In opposition, WALHI has continuously warned the government about the hidden risks of incineration, emphasizing the risk of methane-to-carbon swapping, the obstacle it will pose to cities to achieve its climate and waste reduction targets, and its adverse impacts to local communities. Accordingly, YPBB and Bandung Zero Waste Forum advocate for coherent policies through alternative policy scenarios that do not rely on incineration.

Furthermore, the organic waste ban to landfill should be implemented carefully. The government must not allow pitfalls as experienced by the European “zero waste to landfill” policy, which has resulted in an excess of incineration capacity in this region. The policy should be more ambitious by including a mandatory source separation, separate collection, and treatment of organic waste, and a ban on landfilling ‘untreated organic waste’.

Three protesters wearing complete PPEs protest the incinerator plans in Indonesia. On the left, the protester holds a placard that says in Bahasa Indonesia "Bakar Sampah Masalah Datang", the middle one's placard reads "Incinerator: Fake Solutions!"; and the protester on the right holds a placard that can only be partially seen — Local groups protest incinerator plans in Indonesia. *source: WALHI*

Zero Waste is Already Happening

It is critical that the organic waste ban to landfill policy drives and scales up the existing zero waste models. Nine zero-waste city models throughout Indonesia (Bandung City, Bandung Regency, Cimahi, Sumedang, Purwakarta, Karawang, Gresik, Denpasar and Gianyar) organized by AZWI cover a population of more than 478,000 people with an average of 40% waste segregation compliance rate, up to an 88% in the best cases, which is by far the highest in the country. In total, these zero waste models have the potential to reduce organic waste sent to landfill by 6,500 tons per year. In a recent report, YPBB and GAIA found that a city-scale zero waste implementation in Bandung is four times more climate-effective than incineration. The success of these zero waste initiatives has relied on two strategic pillars:

implementation of waste prevention measures, source separation and separate collection of various waste streams, including organic waste; and
strong community engagement with a clear priority for inclusion of informal waste collectors. Ultimately, local stakeholders have played a pivotal role in implementing the zero waste models that started with minimal government support.

Nine members of AZWI and DLH sit around a concrete table at an open public space in Bandung. — Aliansi Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI) and Dyan Prasetyangningtyas (DLH Kota Surabaya) conduct a stakeholders meeting in Bandung. *source: YPBB*

In conclusion, the level of ambition required in achieving Indonesia’s climate commitments, and the political momentum in West Java should be harnessed to drive systemic change. This can happen now thanks to decades of collective and dedicated work of local groups like YPBB, Bandung Zero Waste Forum, WALHI, and AZWI. To make the most of this, governments and financial institutions must create the right flow of resources and capacity — aligned with Environmental Justice principles — making the inclusion of local organizations a clear priority for a lasting impact.

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“Temperature records that were not meant to be broken have fallen, one after the other, day by day… Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement would require greenhouse gas emissions to be halved by 2030 and net zero emission to be reached by 2050.” —Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

Dire warnings have been issued: the world is facing a climate emergency, and governments around the world are called to “shift into emergency gear;” otherwise, we may face disastrous consequences.

Scientists believe that we still have time to avert this impending catastrophe. But as the years pass, the window to do action is becoming narrow. We must act fast to shift to new, sustainable frameworks and systems.

But while we must move swiftly, we must do things right. The transition needs to be inclusive. And just. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines ‘just transition’ as “Greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.”

Without a just transition, the sectors already excluded by the current system may be left behind. If that happens, they will become even more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Their exclusion may result in them losing their livelihoods, and in turn, in their further deprivation and marginalization.

Zooming In on Workers in the Waste Sector

Among the sectors that stand to suffer the most from the twin crisis that is plastic pollution and climate change are the waste workers, waste pickers, and other informal workers in the recycling value chain — the very people who play a crucial role in waste management and climate change mitigation, often with little to no compensation.

Waste pickers save millions of dollars for their cities and communities and contribute to environmental and human health. Yet, not only are their roles and contributions unrecognized, they are also not included in conversations on the very work that they do, and the very issues affecting them. Their expertise in waste management remains largely untapped and even ignored. And while they are among the segments of society needing social protection and support, they are largely excluded. In many places, they do not have access to healthcare, education, and other basic services.

Through our just transition work, we at GAIA Asia Pacific, aim to ensure that waste workers and waste pickers are not only meaningfully consulted but more importantly, that they become active participants and decision-makers in waste management issues. Waste pickers and waste workers must be at the front and center of conversations and decision-making on waste management issues — their voices heard, their expertise tapped, and their leadership recognized. Only when this happens will policies and programs be truly anchored on realities on the ground.

“We hope we can be enrolled in some kind of pension scheme and get more support for our medical needs. I worry about my grandchildren. Their father does not support them. What would happen to them when I’m gone and I’m not able to leave them something? So you see, a form of pension would be a big help.” — Asha Baban Zombade, Waste Picker from Pune, India

As we shine the spotlight on the waste workers, waste pickers, and other informal workers in the recycling value chain during the final week of the International Zero Waste Month (IZWM) celebration, we invite you to listen to their stories. May we have a deeper appreciation of their contributions and understanding of how they may be supported so that they can live with dignity as they continue with the work that they find meaningful in that better and just world.

We also invite you to support them in whatever way you can.

Support Our Waste Workers and Waste Pickers. Below are GAIA members working with waste pickers and waste workers

MOTHER EARTH FOUNDATION (PHILIPPINES)

Nearly four years ago, Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) launched Project Tuloy, an initiative dedicated to aiding waste workers who play a crucial role in waste collection and sanitation services within our Zero Waste communities. During the COVID19 pandemic, they launched Kusina ni Juan, a community kitchen designed to provide nutritious, freshly cooked meals served in reusable containers for waste workers. They also have a long-running scholarship program for children of waste workers. Through the program, they have supported over 200 children, providing them with gadgets for e-learning and additional allowance that enabled them to purchase school supplies.

Donations can be made through Paypal, as well as via bank transfers to our RCBC and BPI accounts (accessible from any bank through online transfers). Kindly forward a copy of your donation receipt to act@motherearthphil.org to ensure proper acknowledgment. Your generosity will make a meaningful impact on the lives of those dedicated to maintaining our communities Zero Waste and sustainable.

Donate here:

PAYPAL

BANK ACCOUNT
Bank: Security Bank

Type of account: Savings

Branch: Congressional Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

Name of account: FOR LOVE OF MOTHER EARTH INC

Account number: 0-0000-2822-8193

Facebook | Mother Earth Foundation PH | Facebook

CHINTAN CHINTAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND ACTION GROUP

(NEW DELHI, INDIA)

Chintan reduces waste and consumption, manages solid and electronic waste, and advocates around materials, waste, and consumption. It uses waste as a tool to fight poverty, child labor, gender-based violence, and exclusion and climate change, while creating green livelihoods. Chintan pushes back and combats unsustainable consumption. Its work directly supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17.

Help Chintan by supporting #COVIDmekabadi

The United Nations says in these times of COVID, handling waste is an essential service, without which we can all get more ill. Wastepickers do this for us in India. Delhi’s 50,000 wastepickers need our support as they protect us.

DONATE HERE: #COVIDmekabadi | Chintan (chintan-india.org)

HASIRU DALA (BANGALORE, INDIA)

Hasiru Dala, which means Green Force, is a social impact organization that works with waste pickers and other waste workers to ensure a life with dignity.

Donations to support waste pickers

Waste pickers and other informal waste workers are among the most marginalized communities across the country. Despite this, their work of removing waste from the streets to sell to scrap dealers and recyclers makes them unsung and silent environmentalists whose work supports municipal waste management with little to no reward.

Your donations will go to support our programs, which fall broadly across social security, livelihoods, housing, health and nutrition, advocacy, children’s education and safety.

Support Waste Pickers

KKPKP/SWACH (Pune, India)

A Trade Union of Waste Pickers

KKPKP has advocated for the unclean occupations scholarship program at the state government level. They may be reached at https://kkpkp.org/sample-page/timeline-of-change/

STREE MUKTI SANGHATANA (MUMBAI, INDIA)

Established in 1975, Stree Mukti Sanghatana has been working towards women empowerment for over four decades. The play ‘Mulgi Zali Ho’ (Girl is Born) opened doors for women to interact and share their problems with us. The family counseling centers, in-house monthly publication “Prerak Lalkari”, programs for adolescents, daycare centres, programs for waste pickers, and solid waste management commenced operations to enable sustainable livelihood for women.

Donate

Yaksa Pelestari Bumi Berkelanjutan (YPBB)

War on Waste – Break Free From Plastic (WOW-BFFP) – Negros Oriental

Ecowaste Coalition

Por Soledad Mella, ANARCH. Colabora: Camila Aguilera, GAIA Latin America y Caribe.

(English version follows)

A veces se dice que el trabajo de las y los recicladores es una labor invisible. Sin embargo, es más apropiado decir que es una labor invisibilizada. Las y los recicladores del mundo somos tan visibles como los residuos que se apilan en los vertederos y como los efectos del cambio climático que experimentamos cada vez más seguido, el sistema que no nos reconoce como trabajadores es lo que nos invisibiliza.

En América Latina, un continente donde la gestión de residuos a menudo desafía las capacidades espaciales y económicas de las ciudades, los recicladores se erigen como pilares fundamentales para la reducción de residuos, y al mismo tiempo contribuir a combatir el cambio climático.

Las y los recicladores sabemos bien que las mejores estrategias de gestión de residuos son los sistemas de basura cero. Nuestro trabajo no está condicionado a un material en particular o a una mayor generación de residuos, sino todo lo contrario, la reducción en origen de materiales de un solo uso, la recolección diferenciada, y el reciclaje no tóxico, también son objetivos para las agrupaciones de recicladores.

Debido a esto, cuando los recicladores hablamos de transición justa no lo hacemos centrándonos ni en la cantidad de residuos ni en el acceso a un material en particular, sino que hacemos referencia a asuntos concretos relacionados con el reconocimiento, la visibilidad, la integración, y la generación de oportunidades.

En este sentido, la recuperación de residuos orgánicos hoy se abre como una gama de oportunidades para las y los recicladores. Una oportunidad que no estábamos viendo en forma transversal, a pesar de que sí tenemos compañeros comenzando a trabajar en el tema. Si bien la necesidad de reducir las emisiones de metano abre puertas, las necesidades para que podamos lograrlo son las mismas que tenemos cuando nos referimos a nuestro trabajo recuperando residuos sólidos domiciliarios, que son: financiamiento, infraestructura, maquinaria, transporte de logística, apoyo de un equipo técnico y administrativo, y capacitación. Con estas necesidades cubiertas, la recuperación de material orgánico puede entregar nuevas oportunidades no solo a recicladores, sino a más mujeres y hombres que pueden encontrar aquí una oportunidad de trabajo. Por eso cuando se implementan políticas realmente orientadas a la justicia social y a la transición justa, esperamos que éstas garanticen derechos esenciales, entornos de trabajo seguros y saludables y contar con un acceso justo a los residuos.

La Asociación de Recicladores de Chile, un gremio que agrupa a 5.000 recicladores, representando a un universo de 60.000 mil recicladores en todo el país, con 54 dirigentes regionales, desea embarcarse con mucha fuerza y compromiso en el tratamiento de residuos orgánicos. Primero con aquellos que cuentan con acceso a terreno, y luego con más recicladores cuando empecemos a ver los resultados de las políticas de inclusión y transición justa. Recordemos que nuestros compañeros que se encuentran actualmente trabajando en rellenos sanitarios y vertederos, deben entrar en un proceso de recambio frente a lo que significa el cierre de estos espacios. Esperamos que este proceso de cierre y transformación se traduzca en una oportunidad, en la que se pueda invertir y por qué no, convertir estos rellenos/vertederos en espacios de tratamiento de residuos orgánicos.

Las y los recicladores necesitamos -y queremos- que se generen las oportunidades que nos permitan hacernos cargo de los residuos sólidos domiciliarios y ahora también de los orgánicos en el marco de las leyes que se están implementando en nuestros países. Pero como mencioné anteriormente, las ambiciones de recuperación deben ir de la mano de las ambiciones de los gobiernos locales en cuanto a inclusión e inversión.

Soledad Mella – National Association of Waste Pickers of Chile ANARCH

By Soledad Mella, ANARCH/RED Lacre. Contributor: Camila Aguilera, GAIA Latin America & the Caribbean.

It is sometimes said that the work of waste pickers is invisible. However, it is more appropriate to say that it has been made invisible. The waste pickers of the world are as visible as the waste piling up in landfills and the effects of climate change that we are experiencing more and more often. The system that does not recognize us as workers is what makes us invisible.

In Latin America, a continent where waste management often defies the spatial and economic capacities of cities, waste pickers stand as key pillars for waste reduction, and at the same time contribute to combating climate change.

Waste pickers know well that the best waste management strategies are zero waste systems. Our work is not dependent on a particular material or increased waste generation. On the contrary, the reduction of single-use materials at source, differentiated collection, and non-toxic recycling are also objectives for waste pickers’ groups.

Because of this, when waste pickers talk about just transition, we do not focus on the quantity of waste or access to a particular material, but rather we refer to concrete issues related to recognition, visibility, integration, and the creation of opportunities.

In this sense, the recovery of organic waste now opens up a range of opportunities for waste pickers. This is an opportunity that we were not seeing in a cross-cutting way, even though we do have colleagues starting to work on organics. While the need to reduce methane emissions opens doors, the needs for us to achieve this are the same as those we have when we refer to our work recovering household solid waste, which are: financing, infrastructure, machinery, transport logistics, support from a technical and administrative team, and training. With these needs covered, the recovery of organic material can provide new opportunities not only to waste pickers, but to more women and men who can find a job opportunity here. So when policies that are truly oriented towards social justice and just transition are implemented, we expect them to guarantee essential rights, safe and healthy working environments and fair access to waste.

The Asociación de Recicladores de Chile (National Association of Waste Pickers of Chile ANARCH), a group of 5,000 waste pickers, representing a universe of 60,000 thousand waste pickers across the country, with 54 regional leaders, wants to embark with great strength and commitment on organic waste management. First with those who have access to land, and then with more waste pickers as we begin to see the results of inclusion and just transition policies. Also let’s remember that our colleagues who are currently working in landfills and dumpsites must enter into a process of readjustment in the face of what the closure of these spaces means. We hope that this process of closure and transformation will translate into an opportunity to invest in and, why not, convert these landfills into spaces for organic waste treatment.

We waste pickers need – and want – opportunities to be created that allow us to take care of household solid waste and now also organic waste within the framework of the laws that are being implemented in our countries. But as I mentioned earlier, recovery ambitions must go hand in hand with local government ambitions for inclusion and investment.

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Contributed by Movimento Nacional de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis (MNCR)

The fight for environmental justice is strong in Brazil, and a powerful example is the social movement MNCR (Movimento Nacional de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis or the National Movement of Waste Pickers), which has been organizing recyclable material collectors throughout Brazil for roughly 20 years. They seek to uplift waste pickers as important members of society, and fight for recognition, inclusion and appreciation of the work that they do.

Aline Sousa, CENTCOOP

For two decades, MNCR has played a crucial role in organizing waste pickers across the country. Their main platforms are advocating for independence and solidarity for the oppressed class, fighting against incineration and privatization of waste, minimizing environmental impacts, and building popular power to sustain the planet.

Currently, it is estimated that there are between 800 thousand and 1 million waste pickers in Brazil. Around 1664 municipalities throughout the country have adopted separate collection, where waste pickers are responsible for 30% of the total mass collected. Also, 42% of these municipalities exclusively rely on waste pickers to carry out this activity. These professionals clearly play an essential role in waste management in Brazil.

One of the most prominent heroes of the movement is Aline Souza, who is currently serving her third term as President and Director of the Central das Cooperativas de Trabalho de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis do Distrito Federal – CENTCOOP, and is a state representative of the National Movement of Waste Pickers of Federal District (MNCR-DF) and the National Secretariat for Women and Youth of Unicatadores.

The verb to rebuild and preserve has been part of Aline’s life since she was a child. At the age of 14, she started helping her grandmother with her recycling work, and since then she has worked in the sector, making recycling a way to transform her life and the lives of the people who work with her. She is part of the third generation of waste pickers in her family and is the mother of seven children. As a teenager, she dreamed of studying law. During the pandemic, she managed to get a 90% scholarship to study law, but today she has stopped her studies due to personal and professional demands.

Her grassroots organization is called CENTCOOP, made up of 23 waste picker cooperatives. The CENTCOOP advocates for the social recognition of waste pickers, strengthens environmental education on recycling and the shared solid waste management, and contributes to the development of waste picker-led collection systems.

In 2023, CENTCOOP launched CREAR/DF – Centro de Referência em Educação Ambiental do Distrito Federal (Reference Center for Environmental Education in the Federal District), to educate the public on waste separation, engaging civil society, the private sector, public authorities and waste picker cooperatives to increase the quality of the solid waste that arrives at the cooperatives. Approximately 60% of the waste that the cooperatives in the Federal District currently receive is contaminated, and becomes refuse. Therefore educating and informing the population is key to improving segregated collection and municipal solid waste (MSW) management for a circular economy.

Proper waste management is not only an essential municipal service, but a lynchpin for the climate. Today, Brazil collects 65.6 million tons of MSW yearly. Although 45.6%of waste collected is organic, only 0.4% is composted. Currently, only 2% is diverted from disposal: landfills receive 71.6% of the total waste collected and dumps 26.4%. The country emits 5.5% of global methane emissions, with the waste sector accounting for 16%, placing organic waste disposal as the second largest source of methane emissions in Brazil.

With this in mind, CENTCOOP has been developing a project to divert organic waste from the landfill in order to mitigate emissions from this sector, through the creation of a composting plant and a organic waste separate collection scheme, supported by the Pólis Institute and the Global Methane Hub (GMH).

Today, composting systems operated by waste pickers generate three to five times more jobs than landfills, highlighting the potential for expanding these operations. Composting not only has a positive impact on the local economy, but also recognizes organic solid waste as an economic asset with social value. This generates work and income and promotes citizenship, as advocated by the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS).

In addition to valuing the main players in the MSW management system and the most vulnerable population, the new MSW management models– which include waste picker-led composting operations– are part of a just transition and have a positive impact on the economy. The role of waste pickers is fundamental, not only as a legal priority in MSW management, but as drivers of social technologies that increase recycling and boost local development. The Environmental justice principles demonstrated by MNCR provide dignity and job creation for marginalized groups, while reducing methane emissions from the waste sector and promoting a circular economy.

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Contributed by Trivandrum Municipal Corporation (TMC)

The Zero Waste Story of Trivandrum, India

Trivandrum is the capital city of Kerala, the southernmost state of India. In 2011, the city was hit hard by the shutdown of its only municipal landfill at Vilappilsala (in the city outskirts) after locals protested the mismanagement of waste at the site. It was then that the city’s local body decided to shift its waste management practices to a decentralized system. The Trivandrum Municipal Corporation (TMC) is the largest local self-government institution with 100 wards, about 1 million in population, and an area of 214.86 sq. km. Being the capital city, there is also a floating population of 200 thousand per day. The city produces around 423 tons of waste per day out of which more than 70 percent is organic waste.

The decentralized waste management system of TMC introduced segregated collection of waste ensuring source-level composting and decentralized resource recovery. This is done with the help of 1,139 ‘Haritha Karma Sena’ (Green Action Force) members who are tasked to collect non-biodegradable waste materials from each household. For this, they earn a user fee of Rs.100 per month from each house that they visit. The Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) members, 90 percent of whom are women, visit every house twice a month for plastic collection. The municipal corporation also has a calendar made for non-biodegradable waste collection according to which the people should hand over different types of waste material to HKS in allotted months (for example, old cloth, bags, and sandals in October). The collected non-biodegradables are then sent to authorized recyclers.

The city follows source-level composting for organic waste. Each household has access to bio-waste management facilities provided by the local body, such as composting bins or kitchen bins, pipe compost, biogas plants, etc. which are provided at a highly subsidized cost. Communities or households who do not have enough space to plant such source-level composting facilities can drop their bio-waste at the nearby aerobic bins. There are close to 60 aerobic bins distributed to the 100 wards in the city. These aerobic bins have trained staff who process the waste to convert it to compost that is used for urban farming. Bulk generators like hotels, restaurants, commercial establishments, community halls, and institutions are also responsible for segregating their waste at source. They then have to hand over their non-bio waste to the HKS and wet waste to authorized pig farmers or plant owners who process and use it for animal feed.

The city also introduced a ‘Green Protocol,’ (a set of measures to reduce waste generation), the first in India to do so. A large group of youth leaders called the Green Army volunteers assist the city corporation to enforce the Green Protocol at all major events and festivals, raise awareness against littering, promote alternative products, and many more vital activities.

This formalization of decentralized resource recovery, source-level segregation, and composting are examples of zero waste solutions that are based on the principles of environmental justice:

The Green Protocol measures and promotion of alternative products through Green Army youth volunteers’ awareness campaigns are meant to advance the commitments of governments, the public, and private institutions to reducing consumption, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. This is a major step towards respecting planetary boundaries and ensuring intergenerational equity.
The HKS helps to keep the city clean and aids every household to manage their waste responsibly. The mandatory user fee payment to HKS, forming the HKS consortium, pays for green uniforms, necessary equipment for safe waste collection, and training sessions to HKS to convert them to Green Technicians who can provide technical assistance to every household and institution in using source-level composting technologies. These initiatives show how the city corporation ensures and promotes respect for workers in the field of waste management. They are not seen as waste pickers but as a part of the city corporation’s enforcement force.
Trivandrum’s decentralized waste management infrastructure also enhances inclusion– many HKS members and Green Army volunteers are from different social backgrounds. The city corporation also makes sure that all communities in the city have access to the facilities and technologies for waste management.
The officials of the corporation’s health wing have a day and night patrolling squad to prevent littering. The squad acts as an enforcement agency that imposes a fine for non-compliance. The state has introduced a new scheme that rewards 10 percent of the punishment fine to responsible individuals who report such violations, with evidence, to the squad. These measures ensure that there is accountability for environmental harm.
These practices’ combined yields generate income for waste management facilitators or HKS, leading to a just transition. It ensures a sense of responsibility among the public, especially the youth, in managing waste. The program also promotes a critical narrative shift amongst the general populous– that what we see as trash is actually a resource. This systemic point of view has led to increased adoption of holistic solutions for zero waste.

The TMC has ensured stakeholder participation in solid waste management and has adopted creative and scientific methods for methane reduction, which undoubtedly make the city a model in solid waste management that can be followed by other states and nations through necessary modifications that suit their local characteristics.

References

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/ten-zero-waste-cities-how-thiruvananthapuram-cleaned-up-its-act-68539

https://haritham.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Thiruvananthapuram-1.pdf

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/accidental-shift-to-decentralised-waste-management-helps-thiruvananthapuram/article66675058.ece

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2023/mar/26/thiruvananthapuram-corporation-budget-gives-thrust-to-green-initiatives-2559568.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/civic-body-to-develop-smart-waste-management-system/articleshow/101793009.cms

https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/waste-dumped-near-operation-theatre-tvm-corporation-slaps-rs-10k-fine-on-govt-hospital-1.8968704

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/improper-waste-disposal-892-establishments-served-notice/articleshow/99199073.cms

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No More Excuses, ADB! Prioritize Sustainable Solutions and Stop Funding Harmful Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incinerators

02 May 2023 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is increasingly promoting waste-to-energy (WtE) projects in its energy and urban development portfolios as a way to achieve low-carbon economies and sustainable cities. However, according to GAIA Asia Pacific, this approach will have negative consequences for the environment and informal workers in the waste sector in the region. They are likely to be the hardest hit by the Bank’s preference for WtE incinerators as a waste and climate solution.

After months of civil society campaigning on the environmental and social risks of WtE, ADB has approved its Energy Policy aimed at supporting low-carbon transition in the region still identifying WtE as a priority investment but emphasizing that priority goes to reducing waste generation, then exploiting the options for reusing and recycling materials, then using waste to recover energy or usable materials and securing livelihoods . However, ADB approved a 20 million USD loan for a WtE project in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam without clearly following the order of priority. This is very disappointing because ADB’s previous 100 million loan WtE project in Can Tho (Vietnam) has failed to comply with its safeguards policy, particularly on dioxins monitoring — a highly toxic substance acknowledged by the Stockholm Convention and the World Health Organization (WHO). WtE incinerators also figure as a replacement fuel in ADB’s Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) for repurposing of early-retired coal-fired power plants.

WtE incinerators displace waste pickers that provide important roles in the segregation, collection, transport, storage, and recycling of waste. WtE plants are designed to operate and burn resources for at least 20 years. They are highly dependent on dry, mostly recyclables, especially plastic — which is derived from fossil fuels. They rely on income from selling recyclables and as a result, divert waste from landfills causing environmental pollution and methane emissions. “In some cases, the establishment of WtE incinerators can also lead to the displacement of waste pickers from their homes and communities, exacerbating their already precarious economic situation,” said Yobel Novian Putra, GAIA Asia Pacific’s Climate and Clean Energy Campaigner.

The ADB must prioritize sustainable waste management solutions such as composting, recycling, and waste reduction programs. These solutions not only reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, but they also create local job opportunities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, prioritizing sustainable solutions empowers communities to manage their waste and supports the informal waste sector, creating a more equitable and just transition.

“Financing for WtE incinerators works against waste pickers. ADB must recognize the rights of waste pickers including their historical, social, and economic contributions they provide to society. To date, ADB’s WtE incinerator and waste management projects have not considered the impacts of their interventions on waste pickers’ livelihoods,” said Kabir Arora, National Coordinator of the Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers. “Instead, they must support communities’ efforts towards recognition of waste pickers and a full range of programs to ensure that interventions are fair for waste pickers.

AIW stressed that ADB’s just transition program must emphasize supporting waste pickers and other workers who are most vulnerable to occupation disruption from waste management investments and climate change. It must build and improve upon systems that waste pickers have already established while guaranteeing, better and decent work, social protection, more training opportunities, appropriate technology transfer, support for infrastructure and organizing of workers, and greater job security for workers at all stages of the waste sector. Arora further added that waste pickers groups must be part of the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.

Putra stressed, “WtE incinerators are not a solution to the pressing issues of waste and energy. They release nearly 1.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere for every tonne of waste burnt. In many studies, an incinerator emits more greenhouse gas than a coal-fired power plant.”

These emissions also pose serious health risks to nearby communities, emitting harmful pollutants such as dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, which can cause respiratory problems, cancer, and developmental disorders. Moreover, the toxic ash and other waste products generated by such facilities pose a significant challenge to safe disposal.

Investing in WtE incinerators comes at a significant financial cost, increasing waste management expenses, and posing a significant financial risk to cities and municipalities. Taxpayers bear the burden of these costs through false subsidies taken from national and local government budgets to sustain the operation of incinerators for 20-25 years.

Further, Deputy Director of GAIA Asia Pacific Mayang Azurin argued for the urgent need to redirect funding towards sustainable solutions. “Continued financing of WtE incinerators, carbon storage, and other false solutions is not the path to decarbonization and Asia’s recovery and energy transition,” she said. “There is no time to waste. It is urgent that we prioritize the health of our planet and communities over corporate interests.”

GAIA AP urges ADB to reaffirm its commitment to sustainable development and shift funding towards proven zero waste solutions. GAIA calls ADB to cease funding harmful waste-to-energy incinerators and prioritize sustainable waste management solutions that empower communities and protect the health of the environment and communities.

SOURCES:

Arora, K. (2022 October 4). Global Plastics-Treaty: Waste Pickers Ready to Talk. WIEGO

Coca, N. (2022 October 24). Why informal workers are opposing waste-to-energy technology in South-East Asia. Equal Times. Last accessed 2023 April 24.

GAIA (ND) The Hidden Climate Polluter: Plastic Incineration. GAIA. Last accessed 2023 April 24

GAIA (2012 February). Incinerators: Myths and Facts About Waste-to-Energy Incinerators [Fact Sheet]

GAIA (2018 Nov). ADB & Waste Incineration: Bankrolling Pollution, Blocking Solutions.

GAIA (2022). Zero Waste to Zero Emissions.

IJgosse, J. (2019 August). Waste Incineration and Informal Livelihoods: A Technical Guide on Waste-to-Energy Initiatives. WIEGO.

IPEN (2017 April 200) Toxic Ash Poisons Our Food Chain. Last Accessed 2023 April 24.

Muffet, C., Bernhardt, C., Kelso (2019 May 15). The Hidden Cost of Plastic. CIEL

NGO Forum on ADB. (2021 October 18). NGO Forum on ADB’s Critique of the ADB’s 2021 Energy Policy Working Paper. Last accessed 2023 April 24.

Robb. E., (2020 September 2020) No Time To Waste: The Climate Impacts of Incineration and Waste-to-Energy. Zero Waste Europe. Last accessed 2023 April 24

Roberts-Davis, T.L., (2022 December) The Asian Development Bank’s Transition Mechanism. Fair Finance Asia and the NGO Forum on ADB.

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