The document discusses (1) the role of informal waste workers in filling gaps in waste management services, (2) approaches to integrating informal workers such as job training and formalization assistance, and (3) how integration can help achieve UN Millennium Development Goals like reducing poverty and improving health.

1. Environment and Climate Change
Informal actors in waste management
Ways and impacts of supporting the informal waste workers
Background
Speed and magnitude of population growth and
urbanisation in most developing countries overburden local Our Approach
and national administrations. They are not able to provide The most promising approaches for achieving an inclusion
basic waste management services to their population, of the informal sector into solid waste management systems
especially the increasing number of urban poor. By burning and the respective tools and experiences are the following:
and inadequate dumping of waste, health hazards and
environmental degradation threaten local communities and 1. Create organizational structures that allow and improve
valuable resources are wasted. collaboration between waste pickers, facilitate professionalization
and advocacy towards decision makers
It is often the informal sector who steps in to fill the gap of In Brazil, Mozambique, Costa Rica and other countries,
inadequate supply of municipal service and to make value of cooperatives and small enterprises have been created and
waste materials. Studies suggest that about 1% of the now successfully manage recycling centers and/ or provide
population in developing countries lives of informal waste collection services.
collection, sorting and recycling. Informal actors undertake
activities in a legal grey zone without employee protection 2. Train waste pickers and informal recyclers on health aspects and
or binding contracts with companies or municipalities. sorting/ recycling techniques, business management and
However, these people often work under conditions that organizational development
are harmful to the environment and to their health. Child In India, informal recyclers of electronic waste have been
work is frequent in the informal sector. Through its diverse trained about health risks. In the aftermath of this process,
activities the informal sector has a significant economic and the first formalized e-waste recycling center was established,
ecologic importance on the overall solid waste management where appropriate safety measures are respected in the
system. recycling processes. In Costa Rica, a comprehensive training
on organizational development and efficient business
organization has been provided to recycling enterprises.
The project Training materials are available. Established contacts with
GTZ has been commissioned by the German Federal financing institutions have helped to mobilize funding for
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development the recycling companies.
(BMZ) to promote “Partnerships for recycling
management”. This project’s objective is to develop 3. Sensitize informal sector recyclers about the advantages of
concepts and instruments for integrating the informal sector formalization and accompany and facilitate formalization
into solid waste management systems. Studies and pilot procedures in collaboration with the public sector
activities show that informal sector involvement in the In several countries like Egypt, a national committee has
recycling process can help to apply the principles of the been charged with clarification and simplification of
closed-loop approach, reduce negative impacts on the formalization procedures for informal recycling companies.
environment and save secondary raw materials. The project Temporary support measures and guarantees for companies
provides particular attention to the promotion of that enter the formalization process facilitate formalization
cooperation, interaction and dialogue between the public, of the recyclers.
the private and the informal sector. Pilot projects in various
countries aim to collect experiences about the cooperation 4. Analyze and develop value chains for e.g. plastic or electronic
between these sectors. waste in order to create/strengthen markets and business
Further, studies and pilot projects demonstrate that the relationships of waste pickers and recyclers
degree of organization of waste pickers, their access to In several projects with international enterprises like
waste, their entrepreneurial capacities, their relationship HOLCIM, FKuR or Gerdau e.g. in Chile and the
with private collection providers and clients for recyclables Philippines, informal waste collectors supplied recyclables
and political recognition are the main factors for successful or alternative fuel resources directly to these companies.
integration of informal actors into waste management They benefited from regular and higher selling prices.
systems.

2. In Brazil, several different systems have been implemented municipal SWM systems, the income generating effects can
to assure the access of the informal sector to waste. With strongly contribute to the reduction of poverty and hunger.
support from local governments which installed selective
collection systems, waste picker cooperatives acted as  MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower
collection service providers. Also, recycling quotas for women
private service providers served as an incentive to provide More than half of the informal actors in SWM are women.
recyclables to informal sector’s recycling centers. While men are involved in waste collection and selling of
Partnerships between cooperatives and large waste recyclables, women are mostly picking under unhealthy
producers such as supermarkets or industrial zones are conditions at dumpsites or sort and wash collected
another successful cooperation model. materials. Due to this assignment of activities women are
especially vulnerable to health hazards. By strengthening
5. Sensitize local decision makers about the possible benefits of women entrepreneurs and women’s organisations in the
integrating informal sector recyclers in solid waste management informal sector, they are empowered to carry out more
systems independent activities to gain more self-contained
Working groups on waste management planning on national livelihoods.
and local level take into account the informal sector in waste
management planning. Various tools are available:  MDG 4: Reduce Child Mortality
presentations, brochures, fact sheets, a role play and a brief
guide for ex-ante assessment of the poverty impacts of solid  MDG 5: Improve maternal health
waste management plans with a focus on the integration of
informal recyclers addressed to decision makers and  MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
technicians. diseases
A study was conducted in 6 cities (Cairo, Lima, Cluj, Where water drains are blocked by spread wastes and cans
Quezon, Lusaka, and Pune) to assess the socio-economic are filled with rain, mosquitoes find ideal breeding
and environmental impacts of SWM systems in different conditions. In urban areas this considerably raises the risk of
scenarios with and without informal sector integration. This spreading diseases like malaria and dengue. In rainy seasons
evaluation of the respective economic impacts served as a blocked wastewater drains are major reason for local floods
basis for an intensive policy dialogue in the partner cities on and contamination of community areas with faecal germs.
the opportunities of informal sector integration.. Waste collecting and recycling activities of the informal
sector reduce environmental contamination caused by
uncollected waste and the propagation of disease carriers
Integrating the informal sector – a contribution to like rats and flies. As a result, water-induced diseases and
the Millennium Development Goals illnesses caused by vectors, that particularly threaten infants,
The United Nations set eight Millennium Development can be reduced.
Goals (MDG) in order to improve the lives of the world’s
poorest inhabitants.. These goals are to be met by 2015.  MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Waste workers’ activities contribute significantly to Higher collection rates and controlled disposal of wastes
achieving the MDGs: prevents pollution and degradation of the natural resources
water, air and soil. Through its recycling activities, the
 MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty informal sector provides a significant contribution to
Recycling as well as primary waste collection can create a environmental sustainability and resource efficiency by
variety of job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of making secondary raw material available for the production
poor people worldwide. Many poor people are able to of new products. The informal actors also supply basic
achieve incomes of up to 2 or 3 times minimum salary. By services for unserved urban slum areas and therewith
strengthening the informal sector’s role in integrated contribute to healthier living conditions for the inhabitants.
Imprint
Published by:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5
65760 Eschborn, Germany
T +49 61 96 79-1339
F +49 61 96 79-80-1339
E Sandra.Spies@gtz.de
I www.gtz.de/solid-waste-management