Editor’s note: This article is the second installment in a three-part series on evolving safety threats facing waste and recycling industry workers. Read part one here. Read part two here.
Global researchers seem to agree that waste pickers in developing countries face hardships not seen in first-world countries, but support mechanisms to keep them safer have been slow to develop.
Numerous studies have been done on the subject. Among them:
● The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found waste pickers in South Africa had far more dermatological and gastrointestinal issues than their non-picking countrymen, and more than half had visited a hospital within the past year.
● A study published in Sustainability Science, Practice and Policy found a lack of formalized collection methods in Chile led to haphazard safety standards and labor practices that were inconsistent, at best.
● One of numerous reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that, among other things, waste workers in developing nations such as Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Honduras are much more likely to be self-employed than working for a company or person, leading to a lack of regulation and social protection.
The industry isn’t slowing down; global waste collection is expected to grow 70% by 2050 to 3.4 billion tons, according to the World Bank. But the efforts of companies and governments to adequately train and protect these workers isn’t keeping pace, according to Valentina Stoevska, senior statistician in the ILO’s Department of Statistics.
“The average person may underestimate the cumulative health risks associated with waste collection in developing countries,” she said. “Beyond immediate physical injuries, workers face long-term exposure to hazardous chemicals, smoke from open burning and unsanitary conditions that can lead to chronic respiratory illnesses, infections and musculoskeletal disorders. The lack of access to health care exacerbates these risks, making even minor injuries potentially life-threatening.”
Regulatory intervention could help mitigate the risk, but leaders in developing countries often don’t prioritize it. In a brief written by Stoevska’s ILO colleagues, Anna Barford and Annabel Beales found recycling workers in these nations lack access to organized, formal training.
A lack of infrastructure investment contributed to a more informal network, with individuals learning the trade from and then working with family members rather than a proper organization. That, in turn, contributes to a lack of safety compliance – which often lacks sufficient government enforcement even when it’s monitored – and puts recycling enterprises at a disadvantage.
“Competition with the informal economy and the shortage of skilled labor may constrain their ability to expand operations and meet higher environmental and labor standards,” the authors wrote.
So can a lack of access to even basic supplies. The NIH found many waste pickers in developing nations don’t have adequate support, collection infrastructure or personal protective equipment. NIH investigators found numerous landfill sites where no workers wore eye goggles, as one example.
Governments and companies can do their part for formally recognizing waste pickers and integrating them into public waste management systems, Stoevska said. The Fair Circularity Initiative estimates 80% of waste pickers in developing nations operate informally, leaving them without the protections and privileges that come with formal employment.
“As the workforce grows, governments and companies can play a key role by formally recognizing waste pickers, integrating them into public waste management systems and enforcing minimum (occupational safety and health) standards,” Stoevska said. “Practical measures include equipment, training, access to health care and fair remuneration, as well as investing in safer collection infrastructure.”
Such an infrastructure could help the estimated 15 million waste pickers in developing nations (according to the World Bank) achieve a better, safer future. Stoevska said people on both sides can take steps for improvement – workers by organizing and governments by recognizing and supporting those who help clean their streets.
“Successful initiatives often involve cooperative models, capacity-building and inclusion in extended producer responsibility schemes,” she said.
