India's No.1 PU & Degree With Integrated IAS & IPS(UPSC/PSC) Training College.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD OF THE INFORMAL WASTE PICKER
Relevance: GS 3 – Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Why in the News?
- March 1 is International Waste Pickers Day, commemorating the Colombian waste pickers murdered in 1992.
- The theme for year 2024, International Waste Pickers Day is “Zero Waste Sensitization Campaign and Awareness on How to Separate Wastes from Source”.
Understanding the Informal Waste Picker
- Informal waste pickers are a marginalized group within the waste value chain ecosystem.
- Definition by International Labour Organization (ILO): The ILO defines the informal sector in waste management as “individuals or small and micro-enterprises engaged in waste management without formal registration or being officially tasked with waste management services.”
- Informal waste pickers are essential collectors of recyclable waste, contributing significantly to waste management and resource efficiency.
- They perform tasks such as collecting, sorting, trading, and sometimes reintroducing discarded waste into the economy.
- Challenges Faced: Informal waste pickers encounter systemic marginalization due to factors such as:
- Non-recognition
- Lack of representation
- Exclusion from social security schemes
- Absence of legal protection frameworks.
Data on Informal Waste Pickers
- Global Employment Estimates:
- The Centre for Science and Environment reported that the informal waste economy employs approximately 0.5%–2% of the urban population worldwide.
- Many informal waste pickers are women, children, and the elderly, often disabled, and are among the poorest of the urban poor.
- They frequently face violence and sexual harassment.
- Statistics from India:
- The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18 indicates that there are nearly 1.5 million waste pickers in India’s urban workforce, with half a million being women.
- An individual waste picker in India collects between 60 kg to 90 kg of waste per day during an eight to ten-hour workday.
- They often work without safety equipment, leading to hazardous conditions.
Health and Socio-Economic Challenges
- Informal waste pickers suffer from poor health, irregular work, low income, and regular harassment.
- They occupy a subordinate position in the caste hierarchy, exacerbating their challenges.
- Health issues include dermatological and respiratory problems, along with regular injuries.
- They experience existential precarity due to their vulnerable circumstances.
Impact of Private Sector Participation
The Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers (AIW) 2023 report, Private sector involvement in municipal solid waste management marginalizes informal waste pickers.
- Employment Dynamics
- Private actors utilize expensive machinery, providing competitive rates to waste generators like households and businesses.
- This practice marginalizes informal waste pickers, compelling them to engage in hazardous waste picking, such as scavenging from dump sites.
- Health and Safety Concerns
- Forced engagement in hazardous waste picking exacerbates health risks for informal waste pickers.
- Lack of safety measures increases the likelihood of injuries and exposure to harmful substances.
- Economic Implications
- The shift towards mechanized waste management reduces income opportunities for informal waste pickers.
- Competitive rates offered by private actors make it difficult for informal pickers to compete in the market, leading to financial instability.
- Social Status Degradation
- Involvement in hazardous waste picking and reduced income compromise the social status of informal waste pickers.
- Marginalization by private actors further diminishes their standing in society.
- Vulnerability Amplification
- Private players and municipal authorities often cordon off dump sites, limiting access for informal waste pickers.
- This exclusion exacerbates their vulnerability, pushing them into further precarious situations.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
- Concept and Purpose:
- EPR aims to enhance plastic waste management by shifting responsibility from municipal authorities to commercial waste producers.
- It holds producers accountable for managing the waste generated from their products.
- Potential Benefits and Challenges:
- EPR holds promise for social inclusion, potentially benefiting waste pickers and informal grassroots actors.
- However, in practice, EPR implementation poses challenges, particularly for informal waste pickers.
- Concerns Raised by Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO):
- EPR redirects waste away from the informal sector, potentially leading to the displacement of informal waste pickers on a large scale.
- Observations by the Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers (AIW):
- EPR guidelines identify various stakeholders, including government bodies like the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), producers, industry associations, civil society organizations, and citizens.
- However, it remains unclear whether informal waste pickers or their representative organizations are included among these stakeholders.
- Despite the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 mandating the inclusion of waste pickers in municipal solid waste management systems, they are not prioritized in practice.
- The EPR Guidelines 2022, published by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, have overlooked the role of informal waste pickers in waste management and recycling.
- Implications and Recommendations:
- Lack of recognition of informal waste pickers in EPR guidelines could exacerbate their vulnerability and exclusion.
- It is essential to ensure the inclusion of informal waste pickers and their representative organizations in EPR frameworks to promote equitable waste management practices.
- Collaboration between government agencies, producers, civil society, and informal waste picker organizations is crucial for developing effective and inclusive EPR policies.
Role of Waste Pickers in Plastic Recycling
- Globally, waste pickers collect and recover up to 60% of all plastic, making a significant contribution to sustainable recycling efforts (World Economic Forum, 2022).
- In 2016, informal waste pickers collected 27 million metric tonnes of plastic waste, preventing it from reaching landfills or the ocean (United Nations Development Programme and Pew reports).
- Despite their vital role, waste pickers face challenges such as exposure to burning plastic fumes and consumption of contaminated water and air with microplastics.
Plastic Treaty for Waste Pickers
- Need for Just Transition in Plastic Treaty: Endorsing the UN resolution to end plastic pollution and create a legally binding agreement by 2024 requires ensuring a just transition for waste pickers.
- A just transition involves addressing the social and economic impacts of transitioning to more sustainable practices, ensuring fair outcomes for affected workers.
- Significance in India’s Plastic Management
- Waste pickers’ role becomes crucial as India’s per capita plastic waste generation increases.
- India experiences plastic overshoot day on January 6, being among the 12 countries responsible for 52% of the world’s mismanaged waste (Central Pollution Control Board report).
- Challenges with EPR Mechanism
- The EPR mechanism holds producers accountable for plastic pollution but primarily involves large recycling units, neglecting the workforce responsible for waste transformation.
- Waste pickers possess traditional knowledge essential for b, which could enhance the effectiveness of the EPR system.
- Rethinking EPR Formulation
- There is a need to reformulate EPR norms to include and empower waste pickers within the new legal framework.
- Integrating millions of informal waste pickers into the EPR system requires recognition of their contributions and provision of support.
Mains question
Discuss the role of waste pickers in global plastic recycling efforts. Evaluate the need for their integration into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms for effective waste management. (150 words)
